The family of Charlie Kirk has filed a legal notice alleging that Utah Valley University failed to provide adequate security during the event where he was fatally shot. Kirk died on September 10, 2025, after being struck by a sniper’s bullet from a rooftop more than 400 feet away while he was speaking in an outdoor courtyard. The university did not address the allegations in detail but confirmed it received the legal notice and is following its standard procedures.
The legal notice claims that UVU did not perform a proper security evaluation before the event, failed to assign sufficient police officers, and did not have an ambulance on site. It also alleges that university officials failed to adequately respond to a warning about securing rooftops around the courtyard where Kirk was speaking. Turning Point USA had asked campus police about controlling rooftop access before the event. According to the notice, UVU Police Chief Jeffrey Long responded that he had the issue covered.
The legal notice was submitted on September 9, just one day before the one-year anniversary of Kirk’s death. This filing is typically a step required under state law before a formal lawsuit can be filed. The notice names the state of Utah, Utah Valley University, former UVU President Astrid Tuminez, the campus police department and Long.
Tyler Robinson, a 23-year-old from Utah, has been charged with aggravated murder in connection with the shooting and has pleaded not guilty. Robinson turned himself in a day after Kirk’s death and is eligible for the death penalty if convicted, according to a report from The Guardian. Prosecutors presented what they described as overwhelming evidence against Robinson during a preliminary hearing in July. A judge ruled on September 1 that the case should proceed to trial on all seven charges. A trial date has not yet been set.
The university’s campus police were reportedly staffing the event with only six officers, despite the large crowd of about 3,000 people in attendance. Campus officials did not deploy a drone to monitor rooftops or coordinate with local law enforcement during the event. According to the family's notice, Long had asked for more than six campus officers but the request was denied.
Attorneys for Kirk’s family said his death resulted from a series of reckless decisions by university staff that left him vulnerable to a sniper attack. The notice did not specify what kind of damages the family is seeking in their lawsuit. It also alleges that first responders were not immediately available after Kirk was shot and that he was taken to Timpanogos Regional Hospital in a private vehicle rather than an ambulance.
State law allows heirs or personal representatives to file claims for damages if a death was caused by negligence or wrongful action. Kirk had been debating students in an outdoor setting surrounded by tall buildings. The family's attorneys argue that those surroundings made rooftop security especially important.
The university’s response to the event included coordination with a private security team of eight people, but that was not enough to prevent the fatal shooting. UVU announced after Kirk's death that it would commission an outside review of the event and the university's response. The findings have not yet been released. University President Jon Anderson has said the review is expected to be comprehensive.