Utah Valley University has released an after-action report on the Sept. 10, 2025 killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk that spotlights alleged security lapses by Turning Point USA at the event, according to Headline USA’s account of the findings.
Venue dispute at the center
UVU’s report says university officials raised concerns about holding the event in the outdoor Fountain Courtyard and suggested alternatives such as the Fulton Library Quad or indoor locations where access could be controlled. The report states TPUSA “insisted on the use of the Fountain Courtyard location because Charlie Kirk had previously spoken on campus and TPUSA was familiar with that location.”
‘No plan’ and missed basics
According to the report, TPUSA security did not hold a pre-event briefing on the day of the event, and did not conduct a walkthrough or a line-of-sight assessment. The document adds that TPUSA had no written operational plan, stating: “The absence of a written operational plan limited the opportunity to formally document planning assumptions, resource requirements, assignments, communications procedures, contingency plans, mutual aid thresholds, and real-time monitoring responsibilities.”
The report also says the lack of a shared written record hampered decisions about “attendance uncertainty, protest activity, line-of-sight concerns, high-ground vulnerability, TPUSA security coordination, security-post assignments, and the role of external public safety partners.”
Noncooperation and conflicting claims
The report notes that TPUSA’s security supervisor Dan Flood, its security contractor Brian Harpole, and its local field representative Maycee Crofts did not cooperate with the university’s review. Investigators cited particular interest in speaking with Harpole because his public statements conflicted with accounts from UVU officials, including his podcast claims that UVU insisted on the outdoor location and that the campus was in a drone-restricted area—points the report disputes.
“These issues and statements contributed to [UVU investigators’] desire to speak directly with Harpole,” the report says, adding it was “unclear why Harpole did not make arrangements to meet with [UVU] Chief Long immediately after he identified his concerns with the Fountain Courtyard being a ‘horrible’ location upon his arrival.”
Family counsel pushes back
In an email to Headline USA, Brett Parkinson, counsel for the Kirk family, said the report “reaffirms the facts we laid out in our Notice of Claim.” Parkinson asserted, “UVU security was woefully understaffed and unprepared to manage the obvious risks associated with an event of this nature. UVU hosted this event, and in doing so, assumed responsibility for the safety of all in attendance, including Charlie. The buck stopped with UVU leadership and law enforcement.”
Headline USA reported earlier that the family intends to sue UVU and that family attorneys alleged Kirk was exposed to a rooftop sniper who fired a fatal shot from more than 400 feet away.
Who conducted the review
According to Headline USA, the after-action report was conducted by The Lake Forest Group, headed by former San Jose police chief Robert L. Davis. Headline USA editor Ken Silva reported the document was released Friday.
