Charlie Kirk family files wrongful-death notice against Utah and Utah Valley University The family of Charlie Kirk has filed a wrongful-death notice accusing Utah officials and Utah Valley University of security failures before his September 2025 assassination. The notice is a required step before any civil lawsuit. The family of Charlie Kirk has filed a wrongful-death notice accusing Utah officials and Utah Valley University of failing to prevent his assassination, saying reckless security decisions left the conservative activist exposed to a rooftop gunman. The notice, dated Sept. 9, 2026, one day before the first anniversary of Kirk's death, was announced Wednesday. Under Utah law, the filing is required before heirs or personal representatives can bring a wrongful-death claim against public entities or officials. It could lead to a formal claim or lawsuit against the university, state officials and campus police.Kirk, 31, was shot and killed on Sept. 10, 2025, while debating students in an outdoor courtyard at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah. About 3,000 people attended the event, which was held in an area surrounded by tall buildings. According to the family's attorneys, the fatal shot came from a rooftop more than 400 feet, or 122 metres, away.They said university officials failed to take basic measures that could have detected or deterred a shooter positioned above the crowd. Women later prayed at a memorial outside the university, which became a gathering site for supporters and students. The notice names Utah Valley University, its then-president Astrid Tuminez, the campus police department, its chief Jeffrey Long and the state of Utah. It does not specify how much money Kirk's family may seek in damages.The notice represents claims made by Kirk's relatives and their attorneys rather than a court finding. D. Loren Washburn, an attorney for the family, said the risk of a rooftop gunman should have been especially clear because of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump the previous year. Trump was a close friend and political ally of Kirk, who was the CEO and co-founder of Turning Point USA.The family's lawyers alleged that university officials did not carry out an adequate risk assessment before approving the event. They also said officials failed to establish a secure perimeter, monitor nearby rooftops, provide enough police officers or arrange for first responders to be immediately available. An Associated Press review after the shooting found that the Orem campus did not use several public-safety measures common at large events.Those measures included deploying drones to monitor rooftops, coordinating with local law enforcement and using bag checks or metal detectors. Campus police staffing was also far below recommended levels for a school of that size. Long said after the shooting that six campus officers worked at the event and coordinated with Kirk's eight-person private security team. The family further alleged that the lack of an immediate emergency response worsened the situation after Kirk was shot.Instead of being taken to a hospital by ambulance, Kirk was transported to a nearby hospital in a private vehicle, according to the notice. Washburn wrote that the university parties took none of the safety measures that only they had the authority to implement. He said those failures created a situation that rendered Kirk helpless before his assassin. Utah Valley University said it was aware of the notice and would respond consistent with its established processes.Sharon Turner, a university spokesperson, said the school's focus remained on supporting its campus community. The university faced intense criticism after the shooting and said it would expand its police force. Officials have not publicly accepted the family's allegations. Whether the family files a formal lawsuit, and what damages it might seek, has not been announced.The criminal case is separate from any potential civil action. Tyler Robinson, a Utah resident, turned himself in one day after Kirk was killed. Prosecutors have charged him with aggravated murder, an offense that could make him eligible for the death penalty if he is convicted. Prosecutors say Robinson told his romantic partner that he had enough of Kirk's hatred.During a preliminary hearing in July, prosecutors presented what they described as overwhelming evidence linking Robinson to the killing. That evidence included surveillance video showing Robinson on the university campus and DNA testing that prosecutors said connected him to a rifle found near the assassination site. Prosecutors also cited a handwritten note allegedly left for his romantic partner. The note read: I had the opportunity to take out Charlie Kirk, and I took it.A judge ordered the criminal case to proceed toward trial on Sept. 1. No trial date has been set. The family's notice is the latest step in efforts to hold public officials accountable for the circumstances surrounding Kirk's death.