Utah Valley University review faults security planning in Charlie Kirk shooting

An independent after-action review has identified extensive security shortcomings in the planning of the campus event where conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot last year, Utah Valley University said.

The external review examined preparations for Kirk's September 10, 2025 appearance at the Orem campus, focusing on planning discussions between his organization, Turning Point USA, and university officials, as well as the university's response to the shooting.

According to the findings, the university did not carry out a formal security assessment, failed to produce a written event action plan and left critical decisions to Turning Point USA.

The report states that a representative of the organization insisted during an August 2025 planning meeting that Kirk speak in a campus courtyard, citing his previous visit and the group's familiarity with the site. Although some university officials raised concerns about holding the event outdoors surrounded by tall buildings, the event went ahead.

The review described those choices as consequential. It said the outdoor setting introduced significant protective challenges, yet the planning process lacked a documented line-of-sight assessment, a pre-event briefing or a walk-through involving security stakeholders. Coordination with the speaker's private security detail and outside law enforcement partners was also unclear, the report found.