The killing of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University (UVU) last Wednesday has sparked debate over whether insufficient security measures contributed to the conservative activist’s death.
“There were not a lot of police officers present. I’ve seen more officers at UVU for sports events,” remarked a witness known only as Sam, a high school student from the area, speaking to KUTV immediately following the incident. Sam also questioned the absence of enhanced security protocols, such as bag examinations before the event.
“Officers were stationed above on the walkways, seemingly to prevent attendees from throwing items down at him. So, I’m curious why there wasn’t any security focused on deterring those nearby, like in front of him,” he mentioned.
Kirk frequently engaged with fervent critics, engaging in debates with his toughest detractors at colleges and locations nationwide.
A mere six campus police officers — around a quarter of the department — were assigned to Kirk’s event at UVU, as reported by The AP. The deployment of surveillance drones in California raises questions as to why similar measures weren’t utilized at UVU, where the shooter targeted Kirk from an elevated position, echoing the near attempt on then-candidate Donald Trump in Butler, Pa.
Eric O’Neill, a former FBI counterterrorism and counterintelligence operative, spoke to The Hill about the challenges of securing an outdoor venue.
“It’s very difficult to lock down, from a security standpoint, an area that large, particularly when there’s outlying buildings,” O’Neill said.
While he drew parallels between Kirk’s assassination and the Trump incident, O’Neill recognized that the TPUSA CEO wouldn’t receive the same level of protection as a former-president-turned-presidential-candidate.
People hold candles and sing during a memorial and prayer vigil for Charlie Kirk at the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center for the Performing Arts, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (AP Photo/Rod Lamkey, Jr.)
Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old accused of assassinating Kirk, allegedly arrived at the venue at 11:52 a.m. MT and headed to the Losee Center on campus. The event started a few minutes later, around 12:00 p.m. MT, and the shooting began at 12:23 p.m. It did not take long for the campus to be cleared, with UVU saying police went “building to building” escorting students and campus officials off the grounds by 12:30 p.m.
Just over an hour later, Trump confirmed Kirk did not survive the attack.
A school spokesperson told Fox News Digital that UVU Police, in conjunction with the Orem Police Department, Utah Department of Public Safety and the FBI, started investigating the shooting. Robinson’s family recognized him from surveillance images released by law enforcement and later reported to authorities that they believed he carried out the shooting.
Fox News Digital reached out to UVU Police for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
