College hosting Charlie Kirk incident reportedly offered less security compared to other venues during his national tour
In a shocking turn of events, conservative firebrand and Turning Point USA founder, Charlie Kirk, was assassinated in Utah last week. The incident has raised concerns about the vulnerability of outdoor events on college campuses, particularly in light of the attempted assassination of President Donald Trump in Butler, Pennsylvania, which highlighted the potential threat of sniper attacks from nearby rooftops.
The suspect in the Utah shooting reportedly fired from atop a building hundreds of feet away, a method that seems to have evaded standard security measures. At Charlie Kirk's outdoor event at Utah Valley University, far less security was in place compared to an indoor event in Visalia.
Turning Point USA took standard security measures for the Utah event, but it was reported that the shooter accessed the venue from a rooftop of a nearby building, suggesting that rooftop access was not thoroughly monitored or secured. This incident has led to questions about the adequacy of security measures for outdoor events on college campuses.
Campus Police Chief Long of Utah Valley University described the shooting as a "police chief's nightmare." In response, campus police at the University of Wyoming reached out to Texas A&M and other universities that Charlie Kirk had recently visited to better understand how they handled security for such events. Campus Police Chief Josh Holland for the University of Wyoming event in April even checked the locks on building doors that would have allowed access to roof spaces.
Security experts have expressed concerns about the number of officers deployed and the decision to hold the event outside at Utah Valley University. James Hamilton, who founded the FBI's close protection school, stated that it would have been much safer to hold the events indoors due to the risk of sniper attacks from rooftops. Don Aviv, a security expert, emphasised that college campuses are generally open and accessible, making them extremely susceptible to shootings.
Charlie Kirk's organisation, Turning Point USA, which is one of the nation's largest political organisations with chapters on high school and college campuses, did not respond to requests for comment about security protocol for their events.
The assassination of Charlie Kirk has sparked a national conversation about campus security and the safety of outdoor events. As the investigation continues, it is hoped that this tragedy will lead to improvements in security measures on college campuses across the United States.
This article was contributed by Associated Press journalists from New Orleans, Philadelphia, New York, Salt Lake City, and Detroit. Three days of reconnaissance were conducted by the sheriff's department in central California to prepare for a speech by Charlie Kirk at a local church. On the day of the indoor event in Visalia, 60 law enforcement officials monitored Charlie Kirk's movements.
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