Utah Campus Shooting: Ex-FBI Agent Slams ‘Critical Mistake’ in Security That Led to Murder of Conservative Speaker Charlie Kirk
- Charlie Kirk, 31, was shot dead at a speaking event at Utah Valley University
- Ex-FBI agent Jonathan Gilliam says allowing people on the roof of university buildings during events is a ‘critical mistake’
- A ‘person of interest’ has been identified, with a $100,000 reward offered for information leading to their arrest
A former FBI agent has blasted the security measures in place at a US university where conservative speaker Charlie Kirk was murdered, saying it was a ‘critical mistake’ to allow people on the roof of buildings during events.
Jonathan Gilliam, a former FBI agent, told Sunrise that universities are ‘the worst’ when it comes to taking security threats seriously, and that the killer was able to get onto the roof and fire at Kirk due to lax security.
“It’s a regular wrestling match between what we see as an issue when we do our threat assessments from the attacker’s point of view and what we can convince the venues to take seriously,” Gilliam said.
Kirk, 31, was shot dead at a speaking event at Utah Valley University on Thursday, with the killer fleeing the scene and leaving behind a trail of clues.
The FBI has released an image of a ‘person of interest’ in the case, who appears to be of college age and was wearing a black top, black sunglasses, and a dark baseball cap.
Gilliam, who knew Kirk personally, described him as a ‘civilian’ who was simply exercising his right to free speech, and said that his murder was a ‘terrifying situation’ that highlights the need for better security measures at universities.
“He was a conservative, but he wasn’t a right-wing activist,” Gilliam said. “He was just a guy who cared about things and wanted to talk about them.”
The FBI is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to the identification and arrest of the individual(s) responsible for Kirk’s murder.
Donald Trump has announced that he will posthumously award Kirk with the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honour in the US.
The shooting has sent shockwaves across the US, with many calling for better security measures to be put in place at universities and public events.
As the investigation into Kirk’s murder continues, Gilliam’s comments have highlighted the need for a rethink on security measures at universities, and the importance of taking threats seriously.