Charlie Kirk Assassination Raises Questions About Event Security On

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. 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. 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. The fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk on the Utah Valley University campus Wednesday raises questions about what security measures were in place to protect him and students attending the event. UVU police Chief Jeff Long briefly addressed that question at a news conference hours after the tragedy.

“We’re devastated by what happened today. This is a police chief’s nightmare,” he said. Kirk spoke sitting under a pop-up tent at the bottom of a tiered outdoor amphitheater in the center of campus surrounded by buildings. Long said six police officers were working the event along with plain-clothes officers among the crowd he estimated to be about 3,000 people. He didn’t specify the number of undercover officers. The UVU police force, he said, is “small” and covers a large campus with 40,000 students.

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. Police and private security forces have come under mounting scrutiny in the aftermath of the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk. Questions are being raised over how the attack was able to occur at a ticketed, ostensibly secured event, with multiple witnesses noting that no checkpoints, bag checks, or barcode scans were enforced and that... Kirk, 31, the founder of the right-leaning youth organization Turning Point USA and a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, was delivering a speech under a tent to a large crowd on campus at... He collapsed, was rushed to a local hospital and later pronounced dead.

Newsweek has contacted Utah Valley University police department and the FBI for comment via email. The fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk underscores the challenges of securing public events featuring high-profile or polarizing figures. Even ticketed gatherings with private security can remain vulnerable if basic precautions—such as access control, bag checks, and perimeter monitoring—are not rigorously enforced. The incident raises broader questions about how law enforcement and private security coordinate to protect speakers, and highlights the ongoing risks of political violence in highly charged environments. Security experts say the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk in Utah has exposed the challenges of protecting public figures, especially at large outdoor events. FOX 10 Investigator Justin Lum spoke with a mother and her daughter, who witnessed the chaos following the shooting.

PHOENIX - The shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk on the Utah Valley University campus has exposed possible security gaps for political events. The shooting happened during an event that was part of Kirk's "American Comeback Tour." Graphic video posted to social media shows Kirk on stage, sitting in a chair and talking into a microphone when... People started screaming and running away following the shooting. Officials say the shooter fired the lone gunshot from the top of a building that is located less than 200 yards away from where Kirk was sitting with his own security around him. "All I could see is him just going limp. Like, I saw the life leave him in that instant, and I knew he was gone," said Alicia Smith.

Well-wishers pay their respects at a makeshift memorial at the national headquarters of Turning Point USA shown after the shooting death of Charlie Kirk, the co-founder and CEO of the organization, during a Utah... 10, 2025. On September 10, political activist and Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was assassinated at a rally at Utah Valley University. The rally, billed as the American Comeback Tour, was meant to “educate students about the importance of freedom, free markets and limited government.” Video shows Kirk sitting on the stage and talking when a shot rang out and struck him in the neck. He later died from the wound, becoming the latest victim of targeted political violence.

| RELATED: Protecting high-profile figures: A police plan for preventing targeted attacks Two people were initially taken into custody after the shooting but later released, as reported by ABC News. FBI Director Kash Patel said the manhunt for the suspected shooter remains underway and the investigation is ongoing. [1] Law enforcement at the federal, state and local levels is processing a large crime scene, collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses. House Speaker Mike Johnson said security was limited at Charlie Kirk’s event due to his non-government status, responding to questions about the lack of drone surveillance. For years, Charlie Kirk’s appearances at college campuses were major events — drawing thousands of students and attracting protesters, often staged to maximize his interaction with the crowds of young conservatives he inspired.

And each event came with unique security risks, which campuses around the country handled case by case, according to interviews with Kirk’s former security chief and organizers at several colleges who spoke to NBC... Stream NBC 5 for free, 24/7, wherever you are. Kirk's assassination Wednesday is raising questions about whether more should have been done at Utah Valley University, in Orem, where roughly 3,000 people came to hear the conservative activist speak.

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