Utah officials blamed for security failures in Charlie Kirk’s death
Charlie Kirk’s family blamed Utah officials on Wednesday for failing to prevent the conservative activist’s assassination at Utah Valley University, announcing a wrongful death notice that presages a possible lawsuit. Attorneys for the family said Kirk’s death resulted from a string of “reckless decisions” by university officials that left him exposed to a rooftop sniper.
Kirk, 31, was shot on Sept. 10, 2025, while debating students in an outdoor courtyard surrounded by tall buildings, with several thousand people in attendance. Attorneys for the family said the fatal shot came from more than 400 feet away.
The wrongful death notice was filed by Kirk family attorney D. Loren Washburn. The document, dated Sept. 9, names the university and its then-president, Astrid Tuminez; the campus police department and its chief, Jeffrey Long; and the state of Utah. The notice is a required step under state law before the family can file a formal claim or lawsuit.
Washburn alleged the university did not use several public safety practices that have become standard at events around the country, including flying a drone to monitor rooftops, coordinating with local law enforcement to secure the event, conducting bag checks or using metal detectors. Campus police staffing was far below recommended levels for a school of that size, the notice alleged.
“The risk of a rooftop shooter should have been especially top-of-mind given the attempted assassination of President Trump, Charlie Kirk’s close friend and political ally, by a rooftop shooter the previous year,” Washburn wrote.
The notice also alleged officials did not conduct an adequate risk assessment before approving the event, failed to establish a secure perimeter and had no first responders immediately available.
“Tragically, the UVU Parties took none of these safety measures, steps only they had the authority to take, resulting in a situation that rendered Mr. Kirk helpless before his assassin,” Washburn wrote.
Long said after the shooting that six of his officers staffed the event and coordinated with Kirk’s eight-person private security team.
Utah resident Tyler Robinson turned himself in a day after Kirk’s killing. He is charged with aggravated murder, making him eligible for the death penalty if convicted. A judge on Sept. 1 ordered the case to proceed toward trial. A date has not yet been set.
Prosecutors during a preliminary hearing in July presented what they characterized as overwhelming evidence against Robinson. That includes surveillance video of Robinson on the campus, DNA tests linking him to a rifle found near the assassination site and a handwritten note he allegedly left for his romantic partner that read, “I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it.” Prosecutors say Robinson told his partner that he “had enough of his (Kirk’s) hatred.”
Kirk’s parents, Robert and Kathryn Kirk, and widow, Erika Kirk, attended the hearings.
A spokesperson for Utah Valley University said the school was aware of the notice and would address it “consistent with our established processes.”
“Our focus remains on supporting our campus community,” spokesperson Sharon Turner said in a statement.
The Utah Attorney General’s Office said it does not comment on potential litigation.
State law allows heirs or personal representatives of people who die to file lawsuits seeking damages if the death was caused by a wrongful act or negligence. The notice from Kirk’s family did not specify what damages they may seek.
