No “credible threats” were found by Charlie Kirk’s security detail and campus police ahead of an event that lacked metal detectors at a Utah university where the conservative activist was shot and killed, NBC 5 Investigates learned.
Kirk, a conservative firebrand from the Chicago-area who is known for being an ally of President Trump and founding Turning Point USA, was fatally shot while speaking to a crowd of some 3,000 gatherers at Utah Valley University as part of a college campus tour where Kirk invites attendees to debate his conservative ideals.
Officials say the suspected gunman is believed to have fired one shot from a high-powered bolt action rifle from the rooftop of a building less than 200 yards from Kirk was speaking.
The shooting itself struck the conservative Turning Point USA founder in the neck.
In a statement to NBC 5 Investigates Thursday, a university spokeswoman said that university police “discussed the event with Kirk security team before the event and the analysis was that there were no credible threats. UVU is an open campus, no metal detectors were set up for this event. It was in an open courtyard.”
Videos posted to social media showed the graphic nature of Kirk’s killing and the immediate aftermath — which saw horrified onlookers duck for cover before fleeing the university campus.
During an initial news conference Wednesday afternoon, campus police chief Jeff Long told reporters that the shooting was a police chief’s “worst nightmare.”
“We had some plain clothes police officers that were in the crowd as well. You train for these things; you think you have things covered – and these things unfortunately they happen. You try to get your bases covered and unfortunately today we didn’t,” Long said.
Now-retired Secret Service agent Tim McCarthy was shot while protecting President Reagan in 1981. The incident spurred the increased the use of metal detectors at events.
McCarthy, who has since retired from law enforcement service in Illinois, says with the threats of political violence growing, he thinks the use of drones by law enforcement could have identified the suspect and potentially thwarted the assassination.
“I didn’t see any metal detectors or as we know now – the use of drones probably would’ve stopped this altogether and detected the threat at some point,” McCarthy said.
McCarthy also noted that “times have changed.”
Historically, assassins were known regarded as lone gunmen that “got near the protectee or the target with the handgun, pistol, revolver and then attempted to kill the target,” McCarthy explained.
A university spokeswoman confirmed no drones were used before, during or after Wednesday’s speaking event that was disrupted by the shooting.
McCarthy said he thinks there may be additional calls for additional security at other speaking events as a result of this.
As of Thursday afternoon, a manhunt was ongoing, with the FBI offering a $100,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of a suspect.