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EXCLUSIVE: OREM, Utah — Two weeks after the shooting that killed Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk, Fox News Digital accessed the rooftop where the alleged assassin is believed to have taken the shot — stopped only a few feet short of the exact position by a waist-high barrier and a single mobile security camera.
The rooftop of the Losee Center at Utah Valley University is now at the center of growing scrutiny, as investigators examine how Tyler Robinson, 22, was able to carry out the fatal attack.
A security expert told Fox News Digital that the rooftop at UVU represented a significant vulnerability.
“If he didn’t scout it out, he got extremely lucky to find a door that was open on the roof that he needed to get onto to effectuate the actions that he took,” said Bobby McDonald, a former U.S. Secret Service agent and campus security expert. “For him to be able to get to the position that he was able to…a lot of things had to happen in the right way.”
A small area has since been blocked off on the roof of the Losee Center at UVU following the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. (Stepheny Price/Fox News Digital)
The area where Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin took the fatal shot from the roof of the Losee Center at UVU. (Stepheny Price/Fox News Digital)
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Barriers and security cameras have since been installed on the Losee Center rooftop, which had not been there prior to the shooting, law enforcement officials confirmed to Fox News Digital on Tuesday.
New security measures have been added to the area where the alleged assassin shot and killed Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. (Stepheny Price/Fox News Digital)
Investigators said surveillance video captured Robinson walking onto the UVU campus shortly before noon on Sept. 10.
According to a probable cause affidavit, surveillance cameras captured him walking through a tunnel beneath Campus Drive, checking his phone, then appearing near the Losee Center with a “distinctive gait” — allegedly caused by a concealed rifle hidden in his jeans.
A ladder and rooftop ledge leading to the roof of the Losee Center at Utah Valley University — with no security gate in place. (Stepheny Price/Fox News Digital)
Video later showed a man climbing a staircase to a common area beside the building, scaling a wall and crouching on the rooftop. After waiting several minutes, he ran across the roof and took a prone shooting position with a direct line of sight to Kirk.
A flag now hangs at the spot where Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk was shot and killed. (Stepheny Price/Fox News Digital)
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Authorities have not yet said whether Robinson accessed the roof through an unlocked door, forced entry or another route — a critical unanswered question now driving scrutiny of UVU’s security protocols.
The roof of the Losee Center on the campus of Utah Valley University is where authorities say Charlie Kirk’s alleged assassin shot and killed him from. (Stepheny Price/Fox News Digital)
McDonald suggested campus police were likely bracing for protest disruptions, not a sniper.
“Their main concern would have been someone throwing a bottle, an egg or laying down in front of his car — not a shooter with a long gun on top of the roof,” he said.
Tyler Robinson allegedly assassinated Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk from an unmonitored rooftop at Utah Valley University, exposing major campus security failures. (Stepheny Price/Fox News Digital)
Utah Department of Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason added that Robinson was spotted on campus earlier that morning, possibly scouting the area, according to Fox News’ Garrett Tenney.
During an episode of “The Charlie Kirk Show,” executive producer Andrew Kolvet explained that the Turning Point USA security team lacks the authority to oversee rooftops or areas beyond Kirk’s immediate location at campus events.
The area near the roof of the Losee Center on the campus of Utah Valley University. (Stepheny Price/Fox News Digital)
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“In defense of our security team, people need to understand that they do not have jurisdiction on the rooftops or the surrounding area,” Kolvet said. “Their only jurisdiction on a campus is Charlie’s physical proximity, and they were coordinating with local PD and campus PD to make sure all of those venues [were secure].”
Blake Neff, a producer for the show, emphasized that the organization didn’t deploy counter-snipers or have access to Secret Service-style protection for monitoring zones outside Kirk’s direct surroundings.
Kolvet also noted a lack of surveillance technology among many campus police departments.
Charlie Kirk appears at Utah Valley University on September 10, 2025 in Orem, Utah. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was speaking at his “American Comeback Tour” when he was shot in the neck and killed. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
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“Many campus police departments do not have drone programs, which is a big problem,” he said. “I’m actually working on that because it’s something they should all have. It should be mandated by some sort of law. … So anyway, just in quick defense of the security, they’re only allowed to protect his immediate vicinity. They have to rely on PD to secure the larger perimeter.”
UVU launched a full review of its protocols amid growing scrutiny.
“We believe the findings of the comprehensive, third-party independent review of this targeted act of violence will offer valuable insights on how college campuses improve response and preparedness moving forward,” Astrid S. Tuminez, president of UVU, said. “We will integrate the findings into our efforts to strengthen and improve safety practices for UVU and all of Utah higher education.”
Booking photos for Tyler Robinson, 22, the suspect in the Utah assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. (Utah Gov. Spencer Cox)
While some have called for counter-snipers or high-tech surveillance, McDonald cautioned that universities rarely deploy such measures absent a specific threat.
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“Absent any intelligence that there was an active shooter…you’re not going to have officers stationed on rooftops,” he said.
Still, he acknowledged the assassination may prompt schools to rethink security for high-profile or controversial speakers.
“We’re used to going through metal detectors at football games, concerts, airports,” McDonald noted. “Maybe we’ll start to see that on campuses too — though in this case, I’m not sure a metal detector would have made a difference.”
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.