Security Chief Says Police Failed to Secure Rooftops Before Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting

Nearly two months after the fatal shooting of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, the event’s security director says preventable lapses in planning and police coordination were exposed.

Brian Harpole, a veteran law-enforcement officer and founder of Integrity Security Solutions, told a national radio program that his team repeatedly warned organizers and campus authorities about exposed rooftop vantage points, restrictions on drone surveillance and shortfalls in staffing in the days before the Sept. 10 appearance.

“We were told the roof was covered,” Harpole said. “The chief said, ‘I got you covered.’ I took him at his word. We can’t break the law to do what needs to be done, so we relied on the police, and no one was up there.”

Harpole said his requests were informed by prior high-risk events, including a Turning Point appearance in San Francisco where protesters breached barriers and his team faced compromised exit routes with limited law-enforcement assistance. That experience, he said, prompted requests for extra officers and aerial oversight for the Utah event.

Integrity Security Solutions deployed 12 contract guards for the Utah appearance — nearly double its usual detail — but Harpole says jurisdictional limits kept his team roughly 30 meters from the stage. “Our responsibility stopped at the bubble,” he said. “We can’t make arrests or block student buildings. That’s law enforcement’s job.”

Harpole added that the Orem Police Department, which maintains a drone program and a SWAT unit and has mutual-aid agreements, was not asked to assist. Plans to use drones for overwatch were also rejected because of FAA rules and campus policy constraints, he said.

Harpole identified student stairways and rooftop access points that offered clear lines of sight to the stage and said those areas posed a precise threat. His detail took additional protective measures — creating concentric security zones, installing double barricades and using vehicles as hard barriers behind the stage — but he said those precautions could not substitute for rooftop coverage.

The Utah Department of Public Safety confirmed that the State Bureau of Investigation is leading the criminal inquiry with the Utah County Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors have charged 22-year-old Tyler James Robinson with capital murder in the shooting and intend to seek the death penalty.

Utah Valley University (UVU) officials say an internal and independent third-party review of the shooting and security procedures is underway and will be released when complete. UVU also announced plans to hire eight additional police officers and two security managers to strengthen oversight of campus events.

Harpole said he went public to ensure lessons are learned. “Just show the facts,” he said. “If mistakes were made, fix them so it never happens again.”

Note: This article summarizes public statements from Brian Harpole and official announcements from Utah authorities and the university. The investigation remains active and details may change as officials release more information.