Kirk Family's UVU Wrongful-Death Suit Faces Utah Immunity Barrier 1 Year After 31-Year-Old's Killing
Updated
Updated · Fox News · Sep 19
Kirk Family's UVU Wrongful-Death Suit Faces Utah Immunity Barrier 1 Year After 31-Year-Old's Killing
3 articles · Updated · Fox News · Sep 19
Summary
Sept. 9 notice of claim from Charlie Kirk's family accuses Utah Valley University of rejecting extra police, ignoring security warnings and lacking an adequate plan before the Sept. 10, 2025 shooting.
Utah's government immunity statute could block the case even if UVU acted recklessly, legal experts said, because the law broadly shields public entities from claims arising out of a battery.
Jeffrey Long's message to Kirk's team — "I got you covered" — may be the family's strongest evidence that UVU assumed a specific duty to protect him, according to trial lawyer Neama Rahmani.
A 2005 Utah Supreme Court ruling and past failed claims, including a 2010 rape case tied to an escaped inmate, underscore how unusually broad the state's immunity protections remain.
UVU said it is aware of the claim and will follow established legal processes; former president Astrid Tuminez and Long are named in the filing.