By Martha McHardy
Copyright newsweek
Police and private security forces have come under mounting scrutiny in the aftermath of the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk.Questions are being raised over how the attack was able to occur at a ticketed, ostensibly secured event, with multiple witnesses noting that no checkpoints, bag checks, or barcode scans were enforced and that the venue remained largely open to the public.Kirk, 31, the founder of the right-leaning youth organization Turning Point USA and a longtime ally of President Donald Trump, was delivering a speech under a tent to a large crowd on campus at Utah Valley University in Orem, when a single gunshot struck him in the neck. He collapsed, was rushed to a local hospital and later pronounced dead.Newsweek has contacted Utah Valley University police department and the FBI for comment via email.Why It MattersThe assassination of Charlie Kirk underscores the challenges of securing public events featuring high-profile or polarizing figures. Even ticketed gatherings with private security can remain vulnerable if basic precautions—such as access control, bag checks, and perimeter monitoring—are not rigorously enforced. The incident raises broader questions about how law enforcement and private security coordinate to protect speakers, and highlights the ongoing risks of political violence in highly charged environments.What To KnowDespite the event being ticketed, multiple attendees and security experts say the safeguards in place were minimal and inadequate for a high-profile figure.Attendee Tyler McGettigan told NBC News that while he was required to register for a ticket with a scannable code, no one checked it at the venue. “No one checked the barcode or the QR code. There was no checkpoint to get in. It was literally, anyone could walk in if they wanted,” McGettigan said.Emma Pitts, a journalist with Deseret News who was covering the event, echoed those concerns in an interview with NPR. “No. And, I mean, we were given tickets. We all signed up for tickets. But there was no, like, process to go through that. No bags were checked. It’s all at a public space at the university,” Pitts said, noting there was no screening “in a serious way” or even “a casual way for weapons.”Fox News contributor Jason Chaffetz, who was also present, described the scene as vulnerable. “There was some police presence, but there was no security check going in. It didn’t happen. Charlie has some security in front of him. But you got this sense that the shot came straight at him,” Chaffetz said.UVU Police Chief Jeff Long acknowledged lapses in preparation. “You try to get your bases covered, and unfortunately, today we didn’t. Because of that, we had this tragic incident,” Long said, according to NBC News.Security experts say the setup of the event itself created risks. Michael Downing, a retired deputy chief with the Los Angeles Police Department, told ABC7: “In an environment like that, you have an open area. You have a security team that’s around you, inside a bike rail, but the rest of the campus is very porous. You have high ground all around you, and as I understand it, even if it was a ticketed event, they weren’t checking tickets, so it’s a really difficult event to secure.”Don Mihalek, a retired senior Secret Service agent, said the shooting underscores the need for stronger safeguards. “Every level of law enforcement needs to be tracking on this, and security, otherwise incidents like this can and will happen, unfortunately, with the current threat dynamic we’re facing,” Mihalek told WPVI. He pointed to the importance of access control, checkpoints, and coordinated surveillance plans.Authorities said Kirk was killed with a single shot from a rooftop on Wednesday.The shooter wore dark clothing and fired from a building roof some distance away to the courtyard where the event at which Kirk was speaking took place. Authorities have said there is no evidence that anyone else was involved in the attack.Kash Patel, the director of the FBI, wrote on X that a “subject” taken into custody after the shooting, who was initially thought to be the person responsible, was subsequently released after an interrogation. Another person was also taken into custody before being released.Patel has drawn scrutiny as authorities continue to search for the suspect. Democratic operative Charlotte Clymer said on X: “I have zero law enforcement experience, no training in criminology, and I’m still absolutely certain I’m better qualified than Kash Patel to be FBI Director.”Democratic strategist Mike Nellis added: “Kash Patel prematurely saying they arrested the shooter is the natural consequence of putting a dips**t influencer in charge of the FBI. He chases clicks, not criminals.”Lawyer Andrew Fleischman wrote: “Kash Patel should be fired and replaced with someone who will work at his desk in a crisis, instead of TWICE IN ONE DAY falsely claiming he caught the shooter because he can’t go another minute without an attaboy.”What People Are SayingNew York Democratic Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told reporters: “Enough of this. This is horrific. This [is] awful, and the assassination of Charlie Kirk risks an uncorking of political chaos and violence that we cannot risk in America.”Arnold Schwarzenegger, former Governor of California, said on X: “My heart is with Charlie Kirk’s family, and with the United States. Politics has become a disease in this country, and it’s deadly. But don’t listen to the pessimists who say there is no cure. There is a cure. It is inside of us. We must find our better angels and walk back from the extremes. If we can’t agree on anything else, we must find agreement that we don’t solve our debates with violence. This is a horrible tragedy. May it also be a moment for everyone to rediscover their humanity.”What Happens NextFederal, state and local authorities were still searching for an unidentified shooter early on Thursday and working what they called “multiple active crime scenes.”While the shooter has not been caught and no motive has been determined by investigators, the shooting is widely being interpreted as a political assassination.
