The family of Charlie Kirk has filed a formal notice of claim against Utah Valley University and state officials, alleging that a series of preventable security failures left the conservative activist vulnerable to the rooftop gunman who killed him at a campus event last September. The filing is the first step toward a potential wrongful death lawsuit.

Attorneys for Kirk’s widow, Erika Kirk, his parents and his children accuse university officials of “stunning failures and reckless decisions” in the Sept. 9 notice. The filing alleges that Turning Point USA warned UVU police before the event about easy access to rooftops overlooking the outdoor debate. According to the notice, police Chief Jeffrey Long responded to a Turning Point official, “I got you covered,” leading organizers to believe the rooftops would be secured.

Kirk, 31, was fatally shot in the neck on Sept. 10, 2025, while speaking at a Turning Point USA event attended by roughly 3,000 people. The gunman fired from a rooftop more than 400 feet away. The family’s filing argues that UVU failed to follow through on the security assurances given before the event.

The notice alleges that UVU had no written security plan or pre-event briefing, assigned only six campus police officers and did not conduct an adequate risk assessment. It also alleges that officers did not monitor rooftop surveillance in real time, deploy a drone or establish adequate controls around rooftop access. After the shooting, the filing says, Kirk was transported to a hospital in a private vehicle because an ambulance was not immediately available.

The family argues that the failures left Kirk effectively exposed to an attack that could have been prevented if the university had implemented the security measures it was warned about in advance. The notice names Utah Valley University, the State of Utah, the UVU Police Department, Long and former university president Astrid Tuminez as prospective defendants. UVU has acknowledged the notice and said the university would address the matter through its established legal processes.

The criminal case against Tyler Robinson, who is accused of killing Kirk, is proceeding separately. Robinson has pleaded not guilty and faces an aggravated murder charge, making him eligible for the death penalty if convicted. A judge has allowed the case to proceed toward trial.

The filing comes as Kirk’s family seeks accountability over the security decisions surrounding the assassination and raises broader questions about the protection of high-profile speakers at large public events.