Utah officials failed to prevent Charlie Kirk's assassination despite a "specific tip" regarding the risk of rooftop access at the university where he was killed last September, according to a notice of claim filed by his family. An attorney for Kirk's family said the assassination of the 31-year-old conservative Turning Point USA activist at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025, occurred following a series of "entirely stunning failures and reckless decisions" by school officials. "His murder was entirely preventable and, in fact, would not have happened had the State of Utah and UVU followed through on their stated security promises, which included protecting the rooftops surrounding the quad where Charlie was speaking," attorney Brett Parkinson told Newsweek in a statement.
"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." The notice of claim, which was filed September 9, preserves the right of Kirk's family to "pursue accountability" in his death, Parkinson said. The filing, which names the university, its former president, campus police department, police chief and the state of Utah as prospective defendants, identifies six alleged wrongful acts and negligence committed by UVU, including University Police Chief Jeffrey Long ignoring a tip about concerns raised about rooftop access at the school. "TPUSA passed along a student concern about the risk posed to Mr.
Kirk by accessible rooftops on campus," the filing reads. "Specifically, TPUSA texted, 'Hello Chief Long – we received this message today from the student group…. "This led TPUSA to reasonably conclude that UVU had a plan to address the identified risk and other similar risks (most obviously the risk from other rooftops) without TPUSA involvement." The potential threat of a rooftop shooter at the event featuring Kirk should have been "especially top-of-mind" following the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump, Kirk's political ally, the previous year, according to the filing.
Parkinson alleges UVU officials had known of the potential for political violence at the event, but declined to take proper precautions, including by conducting a meaningful threat assessment beforehand or producing a written security plan. "Placing a politically controversial figure like Charlie Kirk in an outdoor event in the quad surrounded by tall buildings and other elevated observation platforms is accurately described as walking him into a fishbowl," the eight-page filing reads. UVU officials declined to comment on the allegations on Wednesday.
"We are aware of the notice of claim," a university spokesperson told Newsweek in a statement. "UVU addresses legal matters consistent with our established processes. Our focus remains on supporting our campus community." The university faced intense criticism regarding safety measures following Kirk's death.
An review found that officials at the Orem campus did not incorporate several standard public safety practices at the event, including inadequate police staffing and a lack of drones to monitor rooftops. The roughly 3,000 attendees also did not undergo bag checks or pass through metal detectors. "The UVU parties assigned only 6 police officers to the outdoor tour event that ultimately attracted approximately 3,000 attendees," the filing continued.
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