Utah Valley University has released a 158-page report into the circumstances surrounding the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk on campus last year, when he was shot and killed during a public speaking event in the school’s central courtyard.
The report, conducted independently by the Lake Forest Group but commissioned and released by the school, identified 10 “key findings” aimed at improving security for future events and concluded that no one at UVU acted “in bad faith or in willful and wanton disregard for the safety of others.”
Among those key takeaways, the reviewers found that UVU’s application of its own policies “was significantly inconsistent;” security was insufficient for a high-profile, outdoor event and there was no one in the university police department assigned to monitor campus security cameras.
The reviewers also recommended reevaluating staffing levels and training given the university’s size and potential for risk.
Read the full report:
One concern raised in the report is that while universities have established systems to identify and thwart internal threats since the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting, those measures weren’t applicable in the Kirk case because accused assassin Tyler Robinson had no connection to the school.
The report also concluded a timeline of major events in the lead-up to Kirk’s visit to UVU between July 10 and Sept. 9, 2025. Several “key decision points” were identified between Aug. 25 and the day of Kirk’s murder on Sept. 10.
On Aug. 25, the outdoor courtyard location remained the event venue despite concerns from UVU officials about their ability to control it, according to the review. Two days later, the event was approved without a documented security assessment plan in place. Campus police and TPUSA security had their “first direct security coordination” on Sept. 3, a week before the event.
On Sept. 8, TPUSA organizers raised their concerns about rooftop access in the area above where Kirk would be speaking. The report states that UVU Police Chief Jeffrey Long sent TPUSA security supervisor Dan Flood a text stating, “We got you covered,” but the review claims that the text was “in reference to the Hall of Flags outdoor pedestrian walkway.”
Flood arrived in person on campus on Sept. 10 with the TPUSA security team.
“Dan Flood, TPUSA Security Supervisor, texted Chief Long advising that TPUSA security personnel had arrived on campus,” the report states. “Chief Long engaged in a series of text communications with Flood, to include several regarding individuals located on the Hall of Flags outdoor pedestrian walkway and the Fountain Courtyard area where a canopy would be set up where Kirk would be speaking. These text exchanges revealed the primary security focus for TPUSA was the Hall of Flags outdoor pedestrian walkway above the canopy.”
This account differs from language in the Kirk family’s notice of claim against UVU, filed last week, which identified the Sorensen Center rooftop as an area of concern, not the Hall of Flags walkway.
The Hall of Flags walkway was closed for the event, but TPUSA security never met with university police in person, according to the review.
Ultimately, prosecutors allege that Robinson climbed atop the Losee Center building, which is to the northeast of the courtyard, and fired the fatal shot from there.
The Hall of Flags walkway is directly above where Kirk was speaking. The Sorenson Center is the building to the north. The Losee Center is to the northeast.
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“This report reaffirms the facts we laid out in our Notice of Claim: that UVU security was woefully understaffed and unprepared to manage the obvious risks associated with an event of this nature,” Kirk family attorney Brett Parkinson said in a statement to Fox News Digital Friday.
“UVU hosted this event, and in doing so, assumed responsibility for the safety of all in attendance, including Charlie.”
As the family alleged last week, University Police Chief Jeffrey Long allegedly told Turning Point USA organizers that “I got you covered” when they raised concerns about rooftop access above the courtyard where Kirk was ultimately shot and killed by a sniper.
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“The buck stopped with UVU leadership and law enforcement,” Parkinson said. “Justice for Charlie and his family requires true accountability for UVU’s fatal shortcomings that day.”
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A university spokesperson told Fox News the school has no further comment beyond a statement released on behalf of UVU President Jon Anderson.
“September 10 will always be part of UVU’s history, but it will not define our future,” he said. “Our responsibility is to care for our community, learn from the findings of this review and follow through on its recommendations. This requires humility, an honest examination of our policies and practices and a commitment to act on what we learn.”
Fox News’ Matt Finn and Nikki DiRico contributed to this report.
