Charlie Kirk's family files notice to sue Utah university over security lapses

The family of late conservative activist Charlie Kirk has filed a formal notice of claim against Utah Valley University and the state of Utah, signaling plans for a wrongful death lawsuit.

Submitted ahead of the one-year anniversary of his assassination, the legal notice alleges that a series of reckless decisions and glaring security failures by university officials left Kirk completely vulnerable to a rooftop sniper during his campus event

The notice says that university police failed to control access to the rooftop from which Kirk was shot.

Utah Valley University said it was aware of the notice of claim — a document that must be filed to warn a ⁠public entity of plans to sue it.

"UVU addresses legal matters consistent with our established processes. Our focus remains on supporting our campus community," the university said in a statement.

Tyler Robinson, 23, a former electrical apprentice, is accused of shooting Kirk from the roof of the ⁠university's student resource center. Utah prosecutors are seeking the death penalty.

The filing highlights multiple alleged safety oversights, including campus police staffing levels that fell well below recommended standards, a lack of bag checks or metal detectors, and the absence of drone surveillance or proper rooftop monitoring.

Attorneys representing Kirk's parents and widow also argued that officials failed to establish a secure perimeter or maintain immediately available first responders, forcing him to be transported to a hospital in a private vehicle.

The notice names the university, its former president Astrid Tuminez, the campus police department, police chief Jeffrey Long, and the state of Utah. Under state law, the filing is a mandatory prerequisite before a formal lawsuit can be pursued against government-related entities.

While university spokespeople acknowledged receipt of the claim and noted they would handle the matter through established legal channels, the development opens a new chapter of scrutiny over public event security and institutional accountability.