Review of Charlie Kirk Assassination at Utah Valley University Released to Public

Utah Valley University has published a 158-page independent review examining the circumstances surrounding the killing of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, who was shot during a speaking appearance in the school’s central courtyard last year.

The Lake Forest Group carried out the investigation at the university’s request. Its findings include 10 recommendations intended to strengthen security at future campus events. The review found no evidence that anyone at UVU acted “in bad faith or in willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others.”

Still, investigators said the university’s own policies were applied “significantly inconsistently.” They also determined that security measures were inadequate for a high-profile outdoor gathering and noted that no member of the university police department had been specifically assigned to watch campus surveillance cameras.

The review called for a fresh evaluation of staffing and training levels, taking into account the university’s size and the potential security risks surrounding major events.

The report also pointed to a limitation in the threat-prevention systems universities developed after the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting. Those programs are designed in part to detect dangers originating within a campus community, but they did not apply to Kirk’s case because the man accused of killing him, Tyler Robinson, had no known connection to UVU.

Investigators assembled a timeline covering preparations for Kirk’s appearance from July 10 through Sept. 9, 2025. They highlighted several critical decision points beginning Aug. 25 and continuing through the day Kirk was killed, Sept. 10.

According to the review, UVU officials expressed concerns about whether they could secure the outdoor courtyard, but the location remained unchanged on Aug. 25. The event received approval two days later without a documented security assessment. University police and Turning Point USA security did not directly coordinate for the first time until Sept. 3, just one week before the appearance.

On Sept. 8, TPUSA organizers flagged the possibility that someone could access rooftops near the speaking area. The report says UVU Police Chief Jeffrey Long texted TPUSA security supervisor Dan Flood, “We got you covered.” Reviewers concluded, however, that Long’s message referred to the Hall of Flags outdoor pedestrian walkway rather than the rooftop area later identified in the shooting.

Flood and the TPUSA security team arrived on the UVU campus in person on Sept. 10.

The report says Flood notified Chief Long by text that TPUSA security personnel had reached campus. Long and Flood then exchanged several messages about people near the Hall of Flags walkway and the Fountain Courtyard, where a canopy had been erected for Kirk’s appearance. According to the review, the messages show that TPUSA’s main security concern was the walkway above the canopy.

MUST READ: Florida Plastic Surgeon Defends Himself in Attorney Murder Trial

That description differs from the Kirk family’s notice of claim against UVU, filed the previous week, which named the Sorensen Center rooftop—not the Hall of Flags walkway—as a security concern.

The Hall of Flags walkway was shut down during the event. However, the review found that TPUSA security personnel never held an in-person meeting with university police.

Prosecutors allege that Robinson ultimately reached the roof of the Losee Center, located northeast of the courtyard, and fired the shot that killed Kirk.

The Hall of Flags walkway sits directly above the area where Kirk was speaking. The Sorenson Center is north of the courtyard, while the Losee Center lies to the northeast.

The report supports the central claims made in the Kirk family’s notice of claim, attorney Brett Parkinson said in a statement to News Outlet on Friday. He described UVU’s security operation as “woefully understaffed and unprepared” for the foreseeable dangers linked to an event of that scale.

“UVU hosted this event, and in doing so, assumed responsibility for the safety of all in attendance, including Charlie,” Parkinson said.

As the family alleged last week, University Police Chief Jeffrey Long allegedly told Turning Point USA organizers that “I got you covered” when they raised concerns about rooftop access above the courtyard where Kirk was ultimately shot and killed by a sniper.

“The buck stopped with UVU leadership and law enforcement,” Parkinson said. “Justice for Charlie and his family requires true accountability for UVU’s fatal shortcomings that day.”

A university spokesperson told Fox News the school has no further comment beyond a statement released on behalf of UVU President Jon Anderson.

“September 10 will always be part of UVU’s history, but it will not define our future,” he said. “Our responsibility is to care for our community, learn from the findings of this review and follow through on its recommendations. This requires humility, an honest examination of our policies and practices and a commitment to act on what we learn.”