In a notice to Utah Valley University and state officials dated last week, Erika Kirk signaled she may sue over alleged security failures that “led to the assassination” of her husband, Charlie Kirk.
According to new filings, the claim is “based on the wrongful death and survivor claims resulting from the wrongful acts and negligence” of university officials.
“Through a series of stunning failures and reckless decisions, the UVU Parties created a foreseeable danger to Charlie,” the filing read. “Those decisions ultimately rendered Mr. Kirk helpless to the rooftop shooter in an assassination that could have been avoided had the UVU Parties only taken reasonable steps to plan and oversee a safe event.”
The filing then listed a series of security precautions “that have been standard practice for other universities hosting controversial speakers” that it claims UVU did not take. It faults the university for a lack of preparation, for holding Kirk’s event outside without a secure perimeter, and for allocating too few law enforcement officers for security, among other alleged lapses.
Charlie Kirk, the co-founder of the conservative student organization Turning Point USA, was fatally shot while speaking at an outdoor event at Utah Valley University in Orem, Utah, last year.