Two months after the Charlie Kirk assassination at Utah Valley University, his security director Brian Harpole detailed critical security oversights that he believes were preventable, including unanswered requests for drone support and additional officers. Harpole, a veteran law enforcement officer and founder of Integrity Security Solutions, told ‘The Shawn Ryan Show’ that his team repeatedly raised concerns about rooftop exposure, drone restrictions and staffing gaps in the days before the Sept. 10 event.
‘We were told the roof was covered,’ Harpole said. ‘The chief said, ‘I got you covered.’ I took him at his word.’
Harpole recounted a previous Turning Point USA appearance in San Francisco where protesters breached barriers, forcing his team to fight its way out with little law enforcement help. ‘We’ve seen it before,’ he said. ‘In San Francisco, we had a street takeover, people climbing fences, our exit routes compromised. We knew how fast things can go bad.’
Those experiences, he said, shaped his requests for extra officers and aerial support in Utah. ‘We told them this one was open air, surrounded by elevated ground. We needed more eyes, more coverage. But we were told it would be handled.’
Harpole said Integrity brought 12 contractors, nearly double its usual staffing, but jurisdictional limits confined them to about 30 meters around the stage. ‘Our responsibility stopped at the bubble,’ he said. ‘We can’t make arrests or block student buildings. That’s law enforcement’s job.’
He said the Orem Police Department, which operates a drone and SWAT unit, was never asked to assist despite a mutual-aid agreement. ‘They told us later they were never asked to come,’ Harpole said.
The incident has sparked intense scrutiny over campus security measures, with the Utah Department of Public Safety confirming that its State Bureau of Investigation is leading the criminal inquiry alongside the Utah County Attorney’s Office. Prosecutors have charged Tyler James Robinson, 22, with capital murder in the shooting and intend to seek the death penalty.
UVU officials have stated an internal review of the shooting and security procedures is ongoing, with plans to integrate findings into campus safety protocols. ‘The comprehensive and independent third-party analysis will be made public once complete and will provide valuable insights into improving safety and security on college campuses,’ the university said in a statement provided to Fox News Digital.
Harpole emphasized the need for clear lines of authority and improved coordination between private security teams and law enforcement. ‘This was a textbook example of what happens when lines of authority aren’t clear,’ he said. ‘We couldn’t act outside our jurisdiction, and the people who could didn’t.’
He also noted that Integrity’s 12-member detail built concentric zones and double presidential-style barricades and used vehicles as hard barriers behind the stage, but those measures couldn’t compensate for gaps in police coverage. ‘Just show the facts,’ Harpole said. ‘If mistakes were made, fix them so it never happens again.’