Lawyers representing the family of Charlie Kirk have blamed a string of "reckless decisions" by officials at Utah Valley University for the death of the conservative activist, a move that may lead to a possible lawsuit. The family claims university officials failed to prevent the assassination, which occurred on September 10, 2025, when a sniper fired a fatal shot from more than 400 feet away.
Security failures at the event
Mr Kirk, 31, was in an outdoor courtyard surrounded by tall buildings during one of his debate events when he was gunned down in front of a crowd of around three thousand. An Associated Press review following the shooting showed the campus in Orem did not use several public safety practices that have become standard safeguards at such large events.
Campus police numbers were well below recommended levels for a school of that size, and authorities failed to use a drone to monitor rooftops. There was also allegedly a lack of coordination with local law enforcement and no bag checks or metal detectors.
Legal notice and claims
"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 Kirk family attorney D Loren Washburn wrote in the notice to state and university officials. The wrongful death notice, dated September 9, a day before the one-year anniversary of Mr Kirk's death, is a required step under state law before his family can file a formal claim or lawsuit.
The notice names Utah Valley University as well as its then-president, Astrid Tuminez, along with the campus police department and its chief, Jeffrey Long, and the state of Utah. Attorneys for Mr Kirk’s family alleged officials also failed to carry out an adequate risk assessment before approving the event, establish a secure perimeter, or have first responders immediately available. The lack of on-site medics meant Mr Kirk had to be taken to a nearby hospital in a private vehicle rather than an ambulance after he was shot, the notice said.
Response and legal proceedings
"Tragically, the UVU Parties took none of these safety measures — steps only they had the authority to take — resulting in a situation that rendered Mr. Kirk helpless before his assassin," Mr Washburn wrote. Six campus officers had staffed the event and coordinated with Kirk’s eight-person private security team, Jeffrey Long said after the shooting. The university has since announced it will expand its police force.
The Utah Attorney General’s Office said it does not comment on potential litigation. Utah resident Tyler Robinson turned himself in a day after Mr Kirk’s killing. Prosecutors say he told his romantic partner that he "had enough of his (Kirk’s) hatred". Robinson is charged with aggravated murder, making him eligible for the death penalty if convicted. A judge on September 1 ordered the case to proceed toward trial. A date has not yet been set.
Prosecutors during a preliminary hearing in July presented what they characterised as overwhelming evidence against Robinson. That includes surveillance video of Robinson on the campus, DNA tests linking him to a rifle found near the assassination site, and a handwritten note he allegedly left for his romantic partner that read, "I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it".
Mr Kirk’s parents, Robert and Kathryn Kirk, and widow, Erika Kirk, attended the hearings. State law allows heirs or personal representatives of people who die to file lawsuits seeking damages if the death was caused by a wrongful act or negligence. The notice from Mr Kirk’s family did not specify what damages they may seek.
