Utah Valley University expected just 600 people to attend an event on its campus where Charlie Kirk was killed in September, according to newly released records. In reality, the number of employees was closer to 3,000.
The Turning Point USA founder, 31, was shot on the school’s campus in the Orem community on Sept. 10 while participating in an outdoor discussion with students in the courtyard of the Sorensen Student Center on what was supposed to be the first leg of his American Comeback tour.
Kirk, a married father of two, was shot in the neck by a sniper’s bullet fired from a nearby rooftop. The suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was taken into custody after a short foot chase.
Wednesday, 2025 Charlie Kirk speaks before he was shot during a US visit to Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, Sept. 10 (AP)
Robinson was later charged with aggravated murder, one count of felony discharge of a firearm, two counts of obstruction of justice, two counts of witness tampering and one count of battery in the presence of a child. Utah state prosecutors have said they will seek the death penalty, and he is due back in court in January.
“We have probably over 3,000 people that attended,” UVU Police Chief Jeffrey Long told reporters at a press conference shortly after the incident, saying six officers were at the event and that Kirk brought his own security team.
But a partially redacted questionnaire seen by ABC News reveals that a student at Turning Point’s UVU department initially checked the 200+ box on the online form to estimate expected attendance during the planning stage, which was later estimated at 600, but it turned out to still be well below the final total.
“Officers protect students, staff, visitors and property and take a proactive approach to crime prevention, education and community engagement,” UVU said in a statement defending its campus security.
“UVU is currently hiring eight additional police officers. UVU is also hiring two new security chiefs to provide additional oversight and support for campus events.”
A Turning Point USA official offered more details on the order when he told ABC: “On an online form submitted in early July, a TPUSA UVU chapter member selected ‘200+’ as the highest attendance option available on the school’s online form.
“Later, a few weeks later, an event request form of about 600 participants was submitted, which was based on a similar event a year earlier at the University of Utah.
Kirk’s crowd reacts with horror when they realize he’s been shot (AP)
“Subsequent conversations between school officials and TPUSA’s safety team updated that estimate to between 1,500 and 2,000, based on more recent ‘Prove Me Wrong’ events on campus.” The events are free of charge and open to the public, including those just walking by, but PD and event coordinators estimate an attendance of around 3,000 people.
Documents released by UVU also show a person, whose name has been redacted, suggesting in August that a change of venue be considered, writing, “We believe that the FL Quad would be better space-wise for the group if there were large crowds in the area. This recommendation was apparently considered, but ultimately not acted upon.”
A Turning Point member who completed the initial questionnaire and scheduled the event answered “no” to the question: “Does EMS [emergency medical services] Need to plan your event? This meant there was no first aid station close at hand, so Kirk had to be taken to a nearby hospital where he eventually died, rather than being treated at the scene.
An NBC poll earlier this week found that a majority of Americans believe “extreme political rhetoric” was the main reason for Kirk’s killing, revealing a rare cross-party consensus that inflammatory language from prominent political figures and the media was a determining factor, rather than simply attributing the attack to the actions of a deranged individual.