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Charlie Kirk Assassination Prompts Questions About Campus Security

Bonisiwe Shabane
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charlie kirk assassination prompts questions about campus security

In the wake of the deadly Charlie Kirk attack, some universities and colleges are rethinking security. A security expert says it’s important to study the security gaps here. Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was well-known, garnering support and controversy for his traditional Christian views on gender, gay rights, and race. Still, the 31-year-old didn’t have the kind of title that criminologist Alex Del Carmen says would have forced campus security into months of preparation. “I will tell you that college campus events are difficult to secure, especially when you don't have people that have a political grade that bring their own security,” said Del Carmen. But amid a wave of political attacks, he said it’s something institutions will have to reconsider.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox, left, speaks with Utah Valley University Chief of Police Jeff Long, right, at a press conference on the campus after Charlie Kirk was shot and killed during an event Wednesday. Hannah Schoenbaum/AP hide caption Charlie Kirk's assassination at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University on Wednesday has increased concerns about security and free speech on college campuses, and university police chiefs are thinking through what the shooting... The event drew about 3,000 people to an amphitheater-shaped space on campus, and authorities believe the fatal shot was fired from a rooftop overlooking the area. Six university police officers were assigned to the event, and Kirk had his own security detail.

Some security experts told NPR the number of officers at the UVU event was not enough for an event of that size. And some attendees said the security presence felt minimal, noting that there were no bag checks as people entered. NPR reached out to the university and its police force, as well as the Utah Department of Public Safety, but did not receive a response. "Any time you have this type of violence, it's a game-changer," says Richard Beary, who served for more than a decade as police chief at the University of Central Florida. He says there's no formula for staffing or security measures at events featuring controversial speakers. Instead, he says decisions depend on the level of risk.

Less than two weeks before Charlie Kirk's assassination in Utah, a sheriff's department in central California conducted three days of reconnaissance to prepare for a speech by the conservative firebrand at a local church... Officials researched potential escape routes and identified local activists opposed to Kirk. On the day of the indoor event in Visalia, which drew 2,000 people, some 60 law enforcement officials monitored Kirk's movements to and from the church, even deploying a drone to secure surrounding rooftops,... “The very nature of Charlie Kirk coming in requires you take special attention to the nuances of what could possibly happen,” Boudreaux said. “He’s a high profile name and personality. Not only do we have to provide for the safety of people attending, we have to provide for the safety of him."

By contrast, Kirk's outdoor event at Utah Valley University last week was out in the open, but with far less security. Six campus police officers — about a quarter of the force — worked the event, which drew 3,000 people, Jeff Long, the campus police chief, said last week. The department hasn’t said whether they inspected nearby rooftops; the suspect shot and killed Kirk from atop a building hundreds of feet away. As he crisscrossed the country to spread his conservative ideals at college campuses, Kirk preferred to be as close to students as possible, allowing him to strike up conversations with passersby. His level of protection varied greatly — campus police often took the lead on overall security, while Kirk's private detail focused on up-close protection. Fox News correspondent Matt Finn has the latest on the search for a motive in the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on 'Special Report.'

The assassination of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University (UVU) last Wednesday raised questions about whether a potential lack of security protocols could be to blame for the conservative activist’s death. "There were not a lot of cops there. I’ve seen more cops at UVU for sporting events than right now," a witness identified only as Sam, a local high school student, told KUTV right after the shooting on Wednesday. Sam also wondered why there weren’t stricter security measures, such as bag checks before the event. "They had cops above on the walkways who were stopping — what I assume — people from throwing stuff down towards him. So, I wonder why there wasn’t any level of security taken to stop people around, like, in front of him or anything like that," he added.

Kirk often appeared at venues where he faced strong criticism, going toe-to-toe with his harshest opponents on campuses and venues across the country. Many political groups and speakers are hitting pause as they reassess how to make appearances at universities and elsewhere following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. William Donahue, former head of College Republicans of America, believes that debates like the outdoor event at Utah Valley University on Sept. where Kirk was killed on Sept. 10, will have to be set aside for now. “The tabling, ‘change my mind’ events are going to have to stop until this political climate settles down,” he said, referring to Kirk’s style of setting up a table at a campus and welcoming...

“I have a responsibility to ensure our students are safe,” Donahue said. “I can’t put them in danger.” Five student members of the College Republicans of America were volunteers at Kirk’s event on Sept. 10. Donahue noted that the group does not have enough funding to provide its own increased security measures, and said it will have to rely on institutions to take on a greater role. Charlie Kirk hands out hats before speaking at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Wednesday, Sept.

10, 2025. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP) OREM, Utah (AP) — Less than two weeks before Charlie Kirk’s assassination in Utah, a sheriff’s department in central California conducted three days of reconnaissance to prepare for a speech by the conservative firebrand... Officials researched potential escape routes and identified local activists opposed to Kirk. On the day of the indoor event in Visalia, which drew 2,000 people, some 60 law enforcement officials monitored Kirk’s movements to and from the church, even deploying a drone to secure surrounding rooftops,... Charlie Kirk, conservative activist and founder of Turning Point USA, walks through the crowd at a pro Trump rally outside the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office where elections officials continue to count ballots, Friday, Nov.

6, 2020, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Matt York, File) “The very nature of Charlie Kirk coming in requires you take special attention to the nuances of what could possibly happen,” Boudreaux said. “He’s a high profile name and personality. Not only do we have to provide for the safety of people attending, we have to provide for the safety of him.” Charlie Kirk arrived at Utah Valley University (UVU) in Orem as part of his “American Comeback Tour,” a campus speaking series designed to court controversy.

The 31-year-old Turning Point USA founder was no stranger to confrontation; his events routinely drew vociferous protests and angry petitions. In fact, at UVU, a petition to bar his appearance had garnered nearly a thousand signatures beforehand. Kirk’s inflammatory rhetoric — denouncing everyone from Martin Luther King Jr. to Taylor Swift — made him a lightning rod. He also wasn’t a stranger to danger: by his own admission and that of his organization, Kirk had been the target of countless threats. Still, he insisted on pressing forward.

“Charlie was no stranger to threats… he always prioritized reaching as many young Americans as possible over his own personal safety,” Turning Point posted after his death. That mindset set the stage for what would be a fatal gamble in a state largely considered friendly territory. UVU is an open campus in a deep red state, and initial security assessments turned up “no credible threats” for the event. University administrators and Kirk’s team alike seemed to expect a rowdy debate at most — not the assassination… The assassination of Charlie Kirk, a 31-year-old conservative political activist and associate of President Donald Trump, sent shockwaves through the United States. The incident occurred on the campus of a university in Orem, Utah, where Kirk was speaking.

According to preliminary reports, the killer fired a bullet from the roof of one of the buildings on campus, striking Kirk in the chest. The suspect was quickly arrested but was released shortly after interrogation, leaving the real perpetrator at large. FBI Director Cash Patel, in a statement, confirmed that the investigation is ongoing but hinted that the true mastermind behind the assassination may remain hidden, much like the shadowy figures who allegedly orchestrated the...

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