Independent review finds security lapses before Charlie Kirk shooting at Utah Valley University

Utah Valley University has released an independent after-action report on the shooting that killed conservative activist Charlie Kirk on its Orem campus on 10 September 2025, finding a string of security failures — including that his Turning Point USA (TPUSA) organisation insisted he speak outdoors despite reservations from university officials.

According to the report, released on Friday, the university did not conduct a formal security assessment, did not create a written event action plan, and deferred critical decision-making to Turning Point USA. At an August 2025 planning meeting, a TPUSA representative insisted Kirk speak at a courtyard on campus because he had been there previously and the organisation was familiar with the location. Some university officials expressed reservations about holding the event in an outdoor space with tall buildings around, but ultimately allowed it to proceed. “In our assessment, those decisions were consequential,” the report said.

The outdoor location “created significant protective operations considerations,” the report found, but the planning process included no documented line-of-sight assessment, no pre-event briefing or walk-through with security stakeholders, and no clear coordination with the speaker’s private security team and external law enforcement partners. The possibility of a rooftop shooter was not properly assessed.

Candace Owens, who has been critical of the circumstances around the event, called the report “the most damning document we have seen since”, saying it confirmed her suspicions about the planning process.

Sources

• Times of India: New report claims TPUSA insisted that Charlie Kirk should address outdoors despite security concerns
• Times Now World: Independent Review Finds Security Lapses Preceded Charlie Kirk Shooting at Utah Valley University
• BBC News (via Scoop): Security lapses at Utah campus where Charlie Kirk was killed, review says