In the 157-page report, published by UVU Friday, an independent project team acknowledged that no university employees acted in bad faith or with willful disregard for the safety of others but identified 10 key findings on how UVU handled the event and provided recommendations. The review also included a timeline of events. 

The project team said when a Major Events Assessment Committee process was initiated Aug. 21, 2025, to plan for Kirk’s on-campus event, several security decisions were deferred to TPUSA field representatives despite concerns from UVU staff about holding the event in an outdoor courtyard and TPUSA’s ticketing process. The findings said TPUSA insisted the event be held at the outdoor location. 

“Because the event was held on UVU’s campus, UVU should have retained decision-making authority over key security-related issues, including venue selection, ticketing, access control, and other conditions necessary to support campus safety,” the review said. 

On Sept. 8, 2025, TPUSA security raised concerns about the rooftop and outdoor pedestrian walkway above Kirk’s canopy, and UVU Chief Long said “we got you covered,” referencing the Hall of Flags walkway, according to the review. However, the review said the planning process did not include a documented line-of-sight assessment. 

On the morning of the event, Long reportedly contacted the Utah Statewide Information & Analysis Center, or SIAC, regarding an anonymous threat, which was deemed unsubstantiated. Messages between Long and TPUSA security showed the Hall of Flags walkway was the primary security focus, according to the review. 

“There was no face-to-face meeting between TPUSA security team members and UVUPD before the start of the event to discuss any other security operations concerns,” the report said. 

UVU was also found to have no one assigned to monitor security footage feeds in real time. 

Kirk was shot and killed at 12:23 p.m. that day by a gunman who was captured on security footage running across the Losee Center roof and taking a prone position, according to the findings. 

In response to the shooting, the project team found UVU personnel responded quickly and made “substantial efforts under difficult conditions” but the response lacked immediate emergency communications. 

“No immediate campus alert was activated by the UVU police chief as Incident Commander. Subsequent campus alerts were inconsistent and contradictory,” the report said. 

The project team advised UVU to build more focused threat investigation capabilities and establish a mutual aid agreement with Orem Police. The team also found that UVU police’s staffing levels and training structure did not match the scale of the university and suggested UVU evaluate its existing structure. 

In response to the independent review, UVU said in a news release that proactive steps have been taken to learn from the event. Completed or underway responses include updating safety leadership and reporting structures and creating a Chief Public Safety Officer position.

UVU said it will require documented security assessments and university review for major campus events and align emergency response and communication plans, among several additional improvements. 

“September 10 will always be part of UVU’s history, but it will not define our future,” UVU President Jon Anderson said in a news release. “Our responsibility is to care for our community, learn from the findings of this review, and follow through on its recommendations. This requires humility, an honest examination of our policies and practices, and a commitment to act on what we learn.

“While we’ve made meaningful progress in strengthening campus safety over the past year, this review provides additional recommendations that will continue to guide our work as we move forward with care, civility, and resilience.”

The release of the independent findings comes weeks after the Kirk family filed an intent to sue UVU, citing “stunning failures” and “reckless decisions” it claims led to Kirk’s assassination.