An independent review released Friday found that Utah Valley University failed to consistently follow its own security procedures before Charlie Kirk was assassinated during a campus event last year.
The report examined the university’s planning, preparedness, response and recovery surrounding the Sept. 10, 2025, shooting that killed the Turning Point USA founder.
Investigators determined that no UVU employee or agent acted “in bad faith or in willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others.”
However, the review identified a series of planning and coordination failures that investigators said should be addressed as the university works to improve security at future events.
Kirk’s appearance involved several factors that warranted a more formal security process, including his status as a high-profile speaker, anticipated protests, uncertainty surrounding attendance and an outdoor venue surrounded by elevated areas.
Despite those concerns, the event did not have a comprehensive written security assessment or an event action plan.
The report found that university officials, campus police, event staff and TPUSA representatives had communicated before the event, but the coordination did not amount to a fully developed security plan.
Investigators specifically highlighted the layout of the outdoor venue.
The area included nearby buildings, pedestrian routes and elevated positions that created multiple potential vantage points around Kirk’s speaking location.
The review said planning should have included more formal consideration of sight lines, building access, crowd control, protest management and fixed security assignments.
Investigators also determined that both UVU police and Kirk’s private security team failed to ensure that a joint pre-event security briefing and walk-through took place.
The review described it as a critical missed opportunity for the different security teams to identify risks and clarify their responsibilities before Kirk appeared.
Security concerns had been raised before the event.
During an Aug. 25 planning meeting, university representatives expressed concerns about the outdoor venue, crowd size, protest activity and access control while suggesting alternative locations.
TPUSA representatives nevertheless requested that Kirk’s event remain in the Fountain Courtyard and preferred to operate their own ticketing system.
Investigators said the arrangement left university officials without an accurate attendance estimate.
TPUSA had initially projected approximately 600 attendees, but several thousand people ultimately gathered for Kirk’s appearance, according to reporting on the review.
The original security plan reportedly called for only three university police officers to work the event.
That number increased after UVU Police Chief Jeffrey Long saw the size of the crowd and assigned additional personnel, according to the New York Post.
The report also documented concerns about an elevated pedestrian walkway near Kirk’s location.
On Sept. 8, members of Kirk’s security team raised concerns about access to the Hall of Flags walkway and requested that the university control the area.
Those concerns were raised again on the morning of the event.
UVU officers eventually cleared people from the area directly above Kirk’s speaking location and placed police tape around it, according to the university’s summary of the investigation.
The review also found shortcomings in how the university used its security technology, saying existing cameras were valuable after the shooting but were not used as effectively for real-time awareness during the event.
Investigators recommended clearer monitoring responsibilities, stronger event-planning procedures and better coordination with outside law enforcement and private security teams.
The report comes as Kirk’s family has taken steps toward a potential wrongful death lawsuit against the university.
Earlier this month, the family filed a notice accusing UVU of serious security failures surrounding Kirk’s death. Their attorney, Brett Parkinson, argued that university leadership and law enforcement should be held accountable.
UVU President Jon Anderson said the university has a responsibility to study the findings and implement the report’s recommendations.
“September 10 will always be part of UVU’s history, but it will not define our future,” Anderson said, adding that the school has already made progress on campus safety reforms.
Among those changes is the creation of a new chief public safety officer position that will oversee campus police, emergency management, fire safety and event security.
The university said it is also strengthening event security planning, ticketing procedures, safety training and coordination with outside law enforcement agencies as it implements recommendations from the independent review.
