Charlie Kirk’s family to sue Utah Valley University over security failures

Charlie Kirk’s family has taken the first formal step toward a potential lawsuit against Utah Valley University and state officials, alleging that a series of “stunning failures and reckless decisions” left the conservative activist exposed to a rooftop assassin.

On Sept. 9—one day before the one-year anniversary of Kirk’s death—attorneys for his estate, widow Erika Kirk, and their two young children filed a notice of claim with Utah’s Attorney General’s office.

The document, made public on Sept. 16, is a required procedural step under Utah law that preserves the family’s right to pursue a wrongful-death suit within the statutory deadline.

It names UVU, its then-president Astrid Tuminez, campus police Chief Jeffrey Long, the UVU Police Department, the state of Utah, and other officials.

Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was fatally shot in the neck on Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at an outdoor event on UVU’s campus in Orem that drew roughly 3,000 people.

Prosecutors accuse Tyler Robinson of firing from the roof of a nearby building more than 400 feet away.

The notice claims the university ignored clear warnings about rooftop access. Turning Point USA staff texted Chief Long about student access to roofs near the speaking area, asking for controlled access or permission for their own security to post there.

Long replied, “I got you covered,” according to the filing. The family alleges no such measures were taken.

“Through a series of stunning failures and reckless decisions, the [UVU Parties] created a foreseeable danger to Charlie,” the notice states.

“Those decisions ultimately rendered Mr. Kirk helpless to the rooftop shooter in an assassination that could have been avoided had the UVU Parties only taken reasonable steps to plan and oversee a safe event, steps outlined below that have been standard practice for other universities hosting controversial speakers.”

The document further alleges that officials conducted no meaningful risk assessment, had no written security plan or briefing, assigned only six campus officers (about a quarter of the force) despite Chief Long’s reported request for more, failed to monitor surveillance footage or use drones, established no secure perimeter, and provided no bag checks or metal detectors.

It notes that Kirk was transported to the hospital in a private vehicle rather than an ambulance because first responders were not immediately available.

Family attorney Brett Parkinson said in a statement: “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 D. Loren Washburn wrote that 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.”

UVU said it is aware of the notice and will handle it through established processes; the Utah Attorney General’s office declined to comment on potential litigation.

The notice does not specify a damages amount but describes them as “substantial.”

A formal lawsuit has not yet been filed.