Security at Charlie Kirk event was weak, say witnesses: 'No metal detectors, no checkpoints'
OREM, UTAH: The fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk during a campus event in Utah has ignited fresh scrutiny over the security arrangements, with multiple attendees describing the measures as inadequate.
Kirk, 31, was speaking at Utah Valley University as part of his American Comeback Tour when he was shot in the neck in front of a live audience on September 10.
Attendees say entry was wide open with ‘no checkpoints’ where Charlie Kirk was shot
Several witnesses told reporters that access to the venue was alarmingly lax.
Tyler McGettigan, one attendee, told NBC News he had printed a ticket but was never asked to present it. “No one checked the barcode or the QR code,” he said. “There was no checkpoint to get in. It was literally, anyone could walk in if they wanted.”
Another witness, Justin Hickens, said there were no metal detectors or bag checks outside the courtyard. “There were no checkpoints, nothing, to get in here,” Hickens recalled.
A Turning Point USA member, Afton Miller, echoed those concerns, saying she and a friend simply “walked in” and were told by what appeared to be a school official to “go find a seat, first-come, first-served.”
Charlie Kirk’s final moments caught on camera
The attack unfolded as Charlie Kirk was responding to questions from the audience. Video shared online captured the 31-year-old activist fielding a question about transgender mass shootings when a gunshot suddenly rang out.
“Do you know how many transgender Americans have been mass shooters over the last 10 years?” a questioner asked. “Too many,” Kirk replied. His final words came seconds later as he clarified whether to count “gang violence” in the statistics. At that moment, a bullet struck his neck, and he collapsed as horrified spectators screamed and ran for cover.
Disturbing footage showed blood pouring from Kirk’s wound as bystanders rushed to his aid. He was transported to a hospital in Orem, Utah, where doctors pronounced him dead shortly afterward.
News of Charlie Kirk’s death first broke through a statement from President Donald Trump on Truth Social. He wrote:
“The Great, and even Legendary, Charlie Kirk, is dead. No one understood or had the Heart of the Youth in the United States of America better than Charlie. He was loved and admired by ALL, especially me, and now, he is no longer with us. Melania and my Sympathies go out to his beautiful wife Erika, and family. Charlie, we love you!”
The 31-year-old activist was in the middle of one of his well-known “Prove Me Wrong” events, part of his American Comeback Tour, when gunfire erupted. Kirk is survived by his wife, former Miss Arizona USA Erika Frantzve, and their two young children.
