Charlie Kirk's Family Alleges 'Stunning Failures' by University Led to Assassination

The family of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has filed a notice of claim alleging that a "series of stunning failures and reckless decisions" by Utah Valley University (UVU) led to his assassination on campus last year. The notice, dated Sept. 9, 2025, and addressed to the Utah Office of the Attorney General, aims to preserve the family's right to sue over Kirk's death.

Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot on Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at an outdoor event at UVU in Orem, Utah, before an audience of approximately 3,000 people. The gunman fired from the rooftop of a campus building. Utah Valley University was the first stop on Turning Point USA's nationwide tour, which the family's counsel stated came against a "well-known backdrop of risk."

The notice alleges that UVU failed to conduct a meaningful risk assessment before approving the outdoor venue and did not allocate sufficient security resources. While university police stated six officers were assigned to the event, the family's claim argues that these measures were inadequate and that the university ignored a tip regarding potential rooftop access near the event location.

According to the notice, a Turning Point USA official texted UVU campus police chief Jeffrey Long about student roof access near where Kirk was scheduled to speak. The official reportedly inquired if access could be controlled or monitored, and Long responded, "I got you covered." This exchange led Turning Point USA to believe UVU had a plan to address the identified risk, the notice stated.

The family's counsel cited surveillance footage shown during a preliminary hearing in the criminal case against the alleged shooter, Tyler Robinson. The footage appeared to show an individual moving across a rooftop toward what an officer described as a "sniper's pad." The claim asserts that real-time monitoring of such footage could have prevented Kirk's death.

"The risk of a rooftop shooter should have been especially top-of-mind given the attempted assassination of President Trump, Charlie Kirk's close friend and political ally, by a rooftop shooter the previous year," the notice contended. It also referenced the 2025 murder of a Minnesota state legislator and her husband and the 2022 hammer attack against Rep. Nancy Pelosi's husband as examples of political violence.

Prospective defendants named in the claim include Utah Valley University, the State of Utah, the UVU Police Department, Chief Long, and Astrid Tuminez, who was UVU's president at the time of the assassination. The notice was filed on behalf of the Kirk estate, his wife Erika Kirk, and their two children.

"Those failures not only robbed Charlie Kirk of his life, but also robbed his family of their husband, father, son, and brother, with impacts that will compound for the rest of their lives," said Brett Parkinson, counsel for the Kirk family, in a statement to ABC News. "Justice and accountability under the law are key tenets of the American judicial system. This claim preserves the right of Charlie Kirk's family to pursue accountability for Charlie's death."

Following the shooting, Chief Long stated that he had coordinated security protocols with Kirk's private security team. He acknowledged that despite training and efforts to cover all bases, the tragic incident occurred. At the time, a university spokesperson declined to answer specific questions about the event's security plan, directing inquiries to a university webpage that stated Kirk's lead security staff had coordinated with UVU Police Chief Long.

Utah Valley University announced it would conduct a comprehensive, independent review of the shooting. Tuminez stated at the time that the review's findings would offer insights on how college campuses can improve response and preparedness and would be integrated into efforts to strengthen safety practices for UVU and higher education across Utah.