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Independent Security Assessment
After-Action Report for Utah Valley University
The Engagement: Scope and Mandate
On September 10, 2025, an incident during a Turning Point USA (TPUSA) event at Utah Valley University (UVU) made a thorough, independent review essential. This After-Action Report was commissioned by Utah Valley University to build a precise, evidence-led account of what took place before, during, and in the hours immediately after, an account grounded in what the record shows rather than in assumption.
The review follows the tragic death of Charlie Kirk during that event. We recognize the profound impact this incident has had on Mr. Kirk’s family, friends, colleagues, attendees, first responders, and the broader community.
Our team looked closely at how UVU planned for the event and prepared its people, how decisions were reached under pressure, how the operational response played out, how the University coordinated with outside agencies, and what actions followed once the immediate crisis had passed. This is deliberately not an exercise in assigning fault. The report takes no political position and does not attempt to interpret anyone’s intent. Its single purpose is to
surface what can be learned and to turn those lessons into concrete steps that make future events safer, better prepared, and more resilient.
The engagement also reaches into the legal and policy terrain that shapes any public-university
event, from campus police procedures and obligations under the Clery Act to the First and
Second Amendment questions a public institution must weigh whenever it hosts speech-related
programming.
Investigative Approach and Methodology
Reconstruct a verified timeline
Map every significant event and decision point across the full arc of the incident, confirmed against evidence rather than recollection alone.
Examine the operational factors
Assess the security, emergency-management, and response protocols that were in play, and how effectively University staff worked alongside external public-safety partners.
Test command and control
Review how communication flowed, how the chain of command was structured, and how personnel and resources were positioned during both the event and the emergency response.
Separate strengths from gaps
Credit the practices that held up well under pressure while pinpointing the vulnerabilities and shortfalls that need attention.
Deliver recommendations that can be acted on
Produce a prioritized, practical set of measures grounded in established standards across higher-education safety, executive protection, event security, and behavioral threat assessment.
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How safe do you and your people feel? We can help you determine next steps to create or enhance your safe and secure workplace, whether you’re just beginning to implement security measures or you have an established security program.
About Founder and CEO G. Michael Verden
About The Lake Forest Group
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Answers to the questions we are most often asked about this engagement. Substantive findings will be addressed in the final report, not in advance of it.