Report finds Turning Point USA ignored university security advice before Charlie Kirk shooting
An independent review commissioned by Utah Valley University concluded that the group’s leader, Charlie Kirk, was scheduled to speak outdoors despite staff recommendations for a more secure venue, contributing to the circumstances of his fatal shooting.
An independent 158-page report commissioned by Utah Valley University (UVU) found that Turning Point USA (TPUSA) insisted on holding a September 10, 2025, event with its leader Charlie Kirk on an outdoor pedestrian walkway, despite recommendations from university officials and the campus police chief to move the gathering to a more secure location. The review noted that school staff had advised TPUSA weeks before the event to select a different venue, but the organization “insisted upon” the outdoor setting, creating “significant protective operations considerations.”
The report also highlighted that a face-to-face briefing between UVU police chief Jeff Long and TPUSA security supervisor Dan Flood, which was scheduled for the day of the event, did not take place. Additionally, UVU’s request for an estimated attendance figure was not fulfilled, limiting the university’s ability to manage crowd control and real-time information.
“Based on our review of all available information, that at no time during the events leading up to the assassination of Charlie Kirk, or in its aftermath, did any employee or agent of UVU act in bad faith or in willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others,” the report stated.
The review criticized UVU for deferring key security decisions—such as venue selection and ticketing—to TPUSA representatives, noting that these choices placed the event in an area that was harder to control. It recommended that the university retain authority over critical security matters in future events.
Kirk’s family attorney Brett Parkinson responded that UVU assumed responsibility for safety by hosting the event and called for accountability. UVU President Jon Anderson said the university would learn from the findings and implement the report’s recommendations, adding that the institution had already made “meaningful progress in strengthening campus safety.”
The family has indicated plans to file a wrongful-death lawsuit, alleging that the outdoor setting exposed Kirk to heightened risk. The alleged shooter, Utah resident Tyler Robinson, has been charged with aggravated murder and has entered a not-guilty plea.