Charlie Kirk S Shooting Death In Utah Raises Questions Over Event Secu

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. 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... 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. Is it even possible to have a secure, political outdoor event? Wednesday's shooting of Charlie Kirk raises questions about risk in outdoor spaces. The conservative activist Charlie Kirk was assassinated Wednesday while speaking at Utah Valley University. Authorities say the sniper fired a single shot from a rooftop about 150 yards away.

On Friday, a suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was taken into custody. Kirk's death has prompted questions about how vulnerable public figures are to violence and what can be done about that, especially at outdoor events. NPR's Meg Anderson joins us now. Welcome to the program. MEG ANDERSON, BYLINE: Thanks for having me. RASCOE: So what is the - or what is typical in securing an outdoor event like this?

ANDERSON: Yeah. So there were about 3,000 people at this particular event. It was held in sort of a quad. The university's police chief said Wednesday they had about six officers working the event. Kirk had his own private security team as well. But security experts I spoke to said that number of officers was not enough for an event of this size.

Given those limited resources, they said security would typically be focused on threats in close proximity. You know, someone rushing the stage with a handgun or a knife. What ended up happening was obviously different, and more officers on the ground, you know, maybe wouldn't have prevented that. But I should say, we don't know exactly what the security plan was. I reached out to the university. I have not heard back.

CORRECTS PHOTOGRAPHER LAST NAME FROM CROEWLEY TO CROWLEY - Law enforcement tapes off an area after Charlie Kirk, the CEO and co-founder of the conservative youth organization Turning Point USA, was shot at Utah... 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (Tess Crowley/The Deseret News via AP) OREM, Utah (AP) — The assassination of Charlie Kirk offers the latest example of how ordinary security measures can be defeated in an era of escalating political violence, when anyone associated with the political... Kirk was in a familiar setting Wednesday before a large crowd at a university in Utah, a red state where voting trends largely aligned with his pro-MAGA politics. The conservative firebrand appeared with his own security team, as he has at events on other campuses.

In hindsight, those with experience protecting high-profile officials and dignitaries say more could have been done to prevent the shooting. Security experts interviewed by The Associated Press questioned whether the event was sufficiently staffed but also acknowledged the limitations of both campus police forces and outdoor venues. They said only the inner ring closest to Kirk appeared to be secure, leaving the outer and middle rings exposed. 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. To stream 12News on your phone, you need the 12News app. Example video title will go here for this video Example video title will go here for this video PHOENIX — After a shooting at a college campus in Utah that left right-wing activist Charlie Kirk dead, questions regarding what security looks like at political events like this are top of mind. While it’s unclear what specific security measures were in place during the Utah event, experts said the challenges of securing a venue like a college quad are both straightforward and complex.

• Charlie Kirk, a conservative US political activist and campaigner for President Donald Trump, has been fatally shot at an event at Utah Valley University. • The shooter – who is still at large – is believed to have fired once from a nearby roof in a “targeted attack,” according to the Utah Department of Public Safety, which is... • A manhunt is underway. Two people who were considered suspects were later released, the department said. • There has been an outpouring of condemnation from both sides of the aisle. Trump described Kirk’s death as a “dark moment for America” and blamed rhetoric from the “radical left” for causing political violence.

• As Trump remade the Republican Party over the past decade, Kirk embodied the GOP’s newfound populist conservatism in the social media age. Trump has credited Kirk with galvanizing and mobilizing the youth vote for him. FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- Just eight days after addressing a packed crowd in Visalia, the outspoken conservative activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot during a stop on his national college tour in Utah. Kirk, the CEO of Turning Point USA, was speaking at Utah Valley University as part of his Prove Me Wrong tour, a series of open forums aimed at fostering debate on college campuses. The shooting occurred on Wednesday afternoon and is being investigated as a politically motivated assassination.

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