West
Charlie Kirk’s security chief says police promise to cover rooftops failed before assassination
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Two months after Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk’s assassination at Utah Valley University, his security director said the tragedy exposed preventable flaws in how the event was coordinated and secured.
Brian Harpole, a veteran law enforcement officer and founder of Integrity Security Solutions, told “The Shawn Ryan Show” 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.
“We can’t break the law to do what needs to be done, so we relied on the police, and no one was up there.”
CHARLIE KIRK ASSASSINATION WITNESSES DESCRIBE MINIMAL SECURITY, HORRIFYING SHOOTING
Investigators search a taped-off area in Orem, Utah, Sept. 11, 2025. (Derek Shook for Fox News Digital)
Harpole said he had asked for additional security based on previous high-risk events. He recalled a Turning Point USA appearance in San Francisco where protesters breached barriers, and his team had 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.”
CHARLIE KIRK’S KILLING AT UTAH UNIVERSITY PROMPTS SCRUTINY OF SECURITY MEASURES
The scene after shots were fired at an appearance by Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. Kirk, founder of Turning Point USA, was speaking on his American Comeback Tour when he was shot in the neck and killed. (Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune/Getty Images)
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.
Fox News Digital reached out to the Orem Police Department for comment.
TURNING POINT USA SAYS SECURITY LACKED JURISDICTION TO MONITOR ROOFTOP WHEN CHARLIE KIRK WAS ASSASSINATED
Harpole said he specifically flagged student stairways leading to rooftops that offered a clear line of sight to the stage.
“Three meters to the right or 10 to the left and there is no shot. That’s how precise the angle was,” he said.
He said his team prepared to deploy drones for watch over the event but was denied authorization under FAA and campus restrictions.
“This is Utah, not Iraq,” Harpole said. “We couldn’t put snipers on roofs or launch drones. We did what we could within the rules.”
SCRUTINY INTENSIFIES OVER SECURITY LAPSES SURROUNDING THE CHARLIE KIRK SHOOTING
UVU students pause to reflect as they gaze over the spot where Charlie Kirk was assassinated in Orem, Utah, Sept. 17, 2025. (Matthew Finn/Fox News)
Harpole said Integrity coordinated with UVU for nearly two weeks and relied on campus police for rooftops and overwatch due to jurisdictional limits. He said promised coverage wasn’t in place.
“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 added 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.
The Utah Department of Public Safety confirmed 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.
ONE MONTH AFTER CHARLIE KIRK’S MURDER, KEY QUESTIONS REMAIN UNANSWERED
Tyler Robinson, left, and Charlie Kirk (Utah State Courts/Handout, Trent Nelson/The Salt Lake Tribune via Reuters.)
UVU officials have said an internal review of the shooting and security procedures is ongoing.
“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 by a firm representing UVU. “UVU is committed to integrating these findings into its safety protocols to benefit UVU and the broader Utah higher education community and campus events.”
The university also emphasized the role of its police officers and new safety investments.
“University police officers play a vital role in maintaining a safe, secure and welcoming environment by enforcing local, state and federal laws while upholding the university’s values of respect, integrity and inclusion,” the statement continued. “Officers protect students, employees, visitors and property and take a proactive approach to crime prevention, education and community engagement.”
First responders work where Charlie Kirk was shot during an event at Utah Valley University Sept. 10, 2025, in Orem, Utah. (George Frey)
UVU said it is hiring eight additional police officers and two new security managers to strengthen oversight and support for campus events.
Harpole said his decision to speak publicly was about ensuring lessons are learned from what happened at Utah Valley.
“Just show the facts,” he said. “If mistakes were made, fix them so it never happens again.”
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UVU officials said their ongoing third-party review will guide new safety policies and staffing expansion aimed at strengthening campus event security across Utah’s higher education system.
Fox News Digital reached out to Turning Point USA and Integrity Security Solutions for comment.
Stepheny Price covers crime, including missing persons, homicides and migrant crime. Send story tips to stepheny.price@fox.com.
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San Francisco, CA
San Francisco hotels see steady World Cup business, but fall short of Super Bowl surge
Bay Area bars and restaurants are packed for World Cup watch parties this week, but San Francisco hotels are not seeing the same sell-out crowds experienced during the Super Bowl earlier this year.
While the Super Bowl brought a concentrated week of events that sent hotel prices soaring into the thousands, the World Cup spans more than a month. The extended timeline has resulted in a slower, steadier trickle of out-of-town soccer fans booking rooms.
The Bay Area has several exciting matches on the schedule at Levi’s Stadium, but none feature top-seeded teams or the mega-star power seen when “Messi mania” previously swept the region.
“We knew we weren’t going to get any of the first-place teams. We weren’t going to get Brazil, or Germany, or any of the teams carrying big fan bases — Messi, Ronaldo,” said Alex Bastian, CEO of the Hotel Council of San Francisco. “But that being said, this is still such a great thing, because people are coming here from around the world.”
Bastian noted that the city’s hospitality industry is still in a strong position for the summer.
“We have a great convention calendar for the month of June, and because we were prepared, we’re doing much better compared to our colleagues across the country,” he said.
A significant surge in hotel bookings could still happen if Levi’s Stadium secures a match featuring Team USA. That possibility grew stronger following the U.S. team’s 2-0 win over Australia on Friday.
“I’m really excited about Team USA. I’m USA all the way,” Bastian added. “I’m hopeful that when that game is played here, the world will come check out San Francisco as well.”
Denver, CO
Rockies ride Kyle Freeland’s gem, Braxton Fulford’s double to 4-3 win over Pirates
The night belonged to Kyle Freeland, who joined the 1,000 K Club. The moment belonged to Braxton Fulford. The ninth inning — and a big sigh of relief — belonged to closer Antonio Senzatela.
Fulford hit a two-run, two-out, pinch-hit double in the eighth inning off Mason Montgomery to lead the Rockies to a 4-3 win over the Pirates at Coors Field in front of a Friday night crowd of 33,596.
Fulford drove in Tyler Freeman and Cole Carrigg, who scratched out back-to-back two-out singles off Montgomery.
“I had been warming up in the cage for that at-bat for a couple of innings, so I felt pretty prepared,” Fulford said. “I got an advantage count (3-1) and I knew he was going to come with the heater and I was all over it.”
Fulford caught Montgomery for three seasons at Texas Tech, so he knew the left-hander’s tendencies.
“It’s kind of unfortunate for pitchers that you catch, because you kind of get to see their stuff,” Fulford said. “You kind of understand more of who they are. So I do feel like I had the advantage there.”
In the ninth, the Pirates loaded the bases against Senzatela with no outs on a single by Marcell Ozuna and an error on a groundball by shortstop Ezequiel Tovar. But Senzatela struck out pinch-hitter Tyler Callihan and induced Jared Triolo to ground to Tovar, who started the game-ending double play.
“It was kind of a crazy ending to the game — bases loaded and no outs,” Freeland said. ” ‘Senza’ got a big punchout in that situation, picks up Tovar. Then Tovar gets another opportunity to turn a double play, and he gets it done.”
Before all of the late-game drama, Freeland pitched his best game of the season: 7 1/3 innings, two runs allowed on four hits, no walks, and eight strikeouts. It marked the fourth time in his career that he pitched 7 1/3 or more innings.
“Tonight, I thought he was absolutely exceptional,” manager Warren Schaeffer said. “I thought his body language was impressive. He attacked the strike zone — relentlessly. His heater had good ‘vert’ tonight. The breaker was good. It seemed like he was in control all night.”
“Gritty” is the word often used to describe Freeland. Dominant was a more apt description on Friday night. History-making works, too. Freeland’s eight Ks gave him 1,001 for his career, joining right-hander German Marquez (1,069) as the only two pitchers in franchise history to eclipse 1,000. Freeland struck out Marcell Ozuna in the seventh for No. 1,000, and then promptly fanned Brandon Lowe for 1,001.
The hard-core Rockies fans behind the dugout gave Freeland a standing ovation.
“I’m very grateful for the fans always supporting me, and for making it this long in my career to reach some of these milestones, especially with one ballclub,” said Freeland, who struck out eight and walked none for the second time in his career. “I definitely hear those fans when I pop out of the dugout after every inning.”
The 33-year-old Denver native blanked the Pirates for the first seven innings, giving up just two hits. Pittsburgh finally got to Freeland in the eighth, putting up back-to-back doubles by Esmerlyn Valdez and Triolo to cut Colorado’s lead to 2-1. Up to that point, it looked as if Freeland had the juice to throw a complete game, especially since he threw just 81 pitches.
Freeland was pulled in the eighth for right-hander Jaden Hill, who gave up an RBI single up the middle to pinch-hitter Bryan Reynolds, tying the game, 2-2. Then Hill hit leadoff hitter Spencer Horowitz, and Nick Gonzalez scorched a triple off the right-field wall, scoring Horowitz and giving the Pirates a 3-2 lead.
Colorado staked a 1-0 lead in the third against hard-throwing right-hander Bubba Chandler. Willi Castro’s single scored Ezequiel Tovar, who reached on a bunt single.
The Rockies extended their lead to 2-0 in the fourth on rookie first baseman TJ Rumfield’s leadoff homer. He sent Chandler’s first-pitch slider 427 feet into the right-field seats. It was Rumfield’s 11th homer and his 38th RBI.
Pitching probables
Saturday: Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (6-6, 2.85 ERA) at Rockies RHP Tomoyuki Sugano (7-4, 4.54), 7:10 p.m.
Sunday: Pirates RHP Jared Jones (1-1, 6.23) at Rockies RHP Michael Lorenzen (2-8, 7.13), 1:10 p.m.
TV: Rockies.TV
Radio: KOA 850 AM/94.1 FM
Want more Rockies news? Sign up for the Rockies Insider to get all our MLB analysis.
Seattle, WA
Suarez’s no-hit try ends on Naylor double in seventh, but Boston still tops Seattle
Ranger Suarez carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning, and the Boston Red Sox beat the Seattle Mariners 6-2 on Friday night.
Suarez (3-3) struck out five and walked three in 6 2/3 innings. His no-hit bid ended with Josh Naylor’s one-out double in the seventh.
The 30-year-old lefty earned his first win since April 27 against Toronto.
Caleb Durbin put the Red Sox ahead with a second-inning solo homer, his fifth of the year. Durbin had his second three-hit game this season, with his first coming against Tampa Bay on June 10.
Ceddanne Rafaela scored on a wild pitch in the seventh, and Marcelo Mayer drove in two more runs with a bases-loaded single.
Carlos Narváez added a sacrifice fly before Seattle finally escaped the inning on a diving catch by Dominic Canzone in right field.
Suarez issued a two-out walk that loaded the bases in the seventh on his final pitch of the night, but Justin Slaten ended the threat by striking out pinch-hitter J.P. Crawford to preserve a 5-0 lead.
Mayer added one more insurance run with a ninth-inning RBI double. The Mariners got on the board thanks to Julio Rodríguez’s two-run homer in the ninth.
Seattle starter Bryce Miller (3-1) struck out seven in five innings. He allowed three hits and one run.
Luis Castillo, who has started in all but three of his 258 career appearances, gave up five runs in four innings of relief as the Mariners revived their “piggyback” rotation.
Up next
Red Sox LHP Connelly Early (5-5, 3.81 ERA) starts opposite Mariners RHP Emerson Hancock (5-3, 3.28) on Saturday night.
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