The family of conservative activist Charlie Kirk has taken the first legal step toward suing Utah Valley University, alleging that a series of catastrophic security failures led to his assassination on campus nearly one year ago.
Attorneys representing Kirk’s family filed a formal wrongful death notice dated September 9 naming the university, its former president Astrid Tuminez, the campus police department and its chief Jeffrey Long, and the state of Utah as responsible parties. Under Utah law, the notice is a mandatory precursor to filing a civil lawsuit.
Kirk, 31, was shot and killed on September 10, 2025, while debating students in an outdoor courtyard at the Orem campus. A gunman fired a fatal shot from a rooftop more than 400 feet away during an event attended by approximately 3,000 people.
Family attorney D. Loren Washburn argued that university officials made a string of reckless decisions that left Kirk dangerously exposed. The notice states that campus police were staffed far below recommended levels, no drones were deployed to monitor surrounding rooftops, local law enforcement was never brought in to assist, and there were no bag checks or metal detectors at the event.
Washburn noted that the threat of a rooftop shooter should have been a heightened concern given the attempted assassination of President Trump by a rooftop gunman the previous year. Kirk was a close friend and political ally of Trump.
The notice also alleges that no proper risk assessment was conducted before the event was approved, no secure perimeter was established, and no first responders were immediately on scene. After Kirk was shot, he was transported to a nearby hospital in a private vehicle rather than an ambulance.
Utah resident Tyler Robinson surrendered to authorities the day after the shooting. Prosecutors say he told his partner that he had “enough of” Kirk’s views. Robinson faces charges of aggravated murder and is eligible for the death penalty if convicted. A trial date has not yet been set.
Evidence presented at a July preliminary hearing included surveillance footage placing Robinson on campus, DNA linking him to a rifle recovered near the scene, and a handwritten note allegedly left for his partner describing his actions.
Utah Valley University acknowledged receiving the wrongful death notice and said it would respond through established processes. The Utah Attorney General’s Office declined to comment on potential litigation. The notice did not specify the amount of damages Kirk’s family intends to seek.