After the fatal shooting of conservative activist and Trump ally Charlie Kirk during a Turning Point USA event at Utah Valley University, serious questions are being raised about the security protocols at the open-air campus gathering.
The event, which had a crowd of approximately 3,000 attendees, reportedly lacked basic security measures such as bag checks, metal detectors, or controlled access points.
Regardless of the presence of six police officers, a private security detail for Kirk, and several plainclothes officers within the crowd, the gunman was able to access a rooftop vantage point undetected and fatally shoot Kirk with a high-powered bolt-action rifle.
Lack of checkpoints
Attendees and journalists at the scene described a startling absence of security protocols. “There was no checkpoint to get in. It was literally, anyone could walk in if they wanted,” said Tyler McGettigan, an attendee who spoke to NBC News.
Emma Pitts, a reporter with Deseret News, told The Independent, “Nobody scanned our equipment, nobody scanned our bags, there was no security like that.”
This unrestricted access has raised concerns about how the suspect, believed to be of “college age,”was able to enter the campus, access stairwells, and position himself on the rooftop to carry out the attack.
Surveillance footage reviewed by the FBI shows the suspect arriving near the campus at approximately 11:52 a.m. local time. Investigators have since traced his movements leading up to the shooting.
‘We didn’t have our bases covered’
Utah Valley University Police Chief Jeff Long acknowledged the shortcomings in the security setup. “We train for these things, and you think you have things covered, and these things, unfortunately, they happen,” Chief Long told The Independent.
“You try to get your bases covered, and unfortunately, we didn’t. Because of that, we had this tragic incident.”
Michael Harrigan, a threat assessment expert with PAX Group, explained that open-air gatherings present unique challenges.
“These events can be very hard to secure,” said Harrigan. “A security detail does their best to try to minimise risks around the client’s requirements, but there are always vulnerabilities.”
Campus firearms policy
Utah law allows students to carry concealed firearms on campus if they possess a valid permit.
Former FBI agent Katherine Schweit noted that while security coordination is standard for campus events, the level of protection often depends on the host’s requests and university policy.
“I don’t think it’s really accurate to say there were security lapses or mistakes made by security at the campus,” Schweit told The Independent.
“That would presume there were plans that called for much more intense security, and that there were failures in those and that just doesn’t exist here.”
FBI seeks public help to identify the suspect
The FBI has taken over the investigation and released surveillance images of a “person of interest” believed to be connected to the shooting.
Authorities are urging the public to come forward with any information that could help identify or locate the suspect.
“We are asking for the public’s help [in] identifying this person of interest in connection with the fatal shooting of Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University,” the FBI said in a statement.
A reward of up to $100,000 has been announced for information leading to the identification or arrest of the individual.