The family of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has accused Utah Valley University (UVU) and state officials of "stunning failures and reckless decisions" that they allege directly led to his assassination on campus in 2025.
A legal notice, filed by lawyers representing Mr Kirk's family, claims that security arrangements for his Turning Point USA event on 10 September 2025 were profoundly inadequate, rendering the 31-year-old an "easy target" for a gunman.
Mr Kirk was addressing a crowd of thousands at the university campus when he was fatally shot by an assailant positioned on a nearby rooftop.
The legal notice, submitted on 9 September – a day before the first anniversary of Mr Kirk's death – is typically a formal precursor to a full lawsuit. It targets Utah Valley University, local police authorities, the state of Utah, and various university officials.
The document claims these parties were fully aware of specific threats against Mr Kirk but allegedly failed to implement the necessary protective measures.
"Through a series of stunning failures and reckless decisions, the UVU Parties created a foreseeable danger to Charlie," the notice explicitly states, outlining the family's case for negligence.
The filing criticises the choice of venue for the event, alleging that 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." This arrangement, the notice suggests, inherently heightened the risk to Mr Kirk.
Among the detailed accusations, Mr Kirk's family contends that the university neglected to conduct a meaningful security assessment prior to the event. They also allege a failure to assign a sufficient number of police officers to the gathering and a critical absence of an ambulance on site, which could have provided immediate medical assistance.
Furthermore, the family asserts that explicit warnings regarding the necessity of securing rooftops overlooking the courtyard where Mr Kirk was speaking were reportedly ignored by officials.
Attorney D Loren Washburn, representing the family in the court filing, underscored the heightened security awareness that should have been present: "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."
In response to the serious allegations, Utah Valley University provided a statement to CBS News, a BBC US partner, confirming their awareness of the claim.
"We are aware of the notice of claim. UVU addresses legal matters consistent with our established processes," the university stated. It added that its "focus remains on supporting our campus community," but refrained from offering further specific comments on the allegations themselves.
Separately, Tyler Robinson, a 23-year-old man from Utah, who has been accused of firing the fatal shots from a roof, is scheduled to appear in court next month. He is expected to receive the date for his trial during this hearing.
Mr Robinson has entered pleas of not guilty to charges including aggravated murder, which carries the potential for the death penalty in Utah, alongside six other related counts. Prosecutors involved in the case have formally sought the death penalty for Mr Robinson.
