Turning Point USA Chief Operating Officer Tyler Bowyer argued during a recent interview that the assassination of Charlie Kirk could have been prevented if the Utah Valley University police had used drones or allowed TPUSA’s security team to use them.
“Every single event that’s held is a combination of our security team working with the local police. In this case, on university campuses, it’s the university police,” Bowyer told Culture Apothecary podcast host Alex Clark in an episode published last week.
He explained that there is a line drawn between the responsibility that TPUSA’s security team has in protecting Kirk and the job that the campus police has in protecting the overall event itself.
“In this case, for Utah Valley University, their responsibility was to protect the campus, all of the perimeter, rooftops, everything else. When we go out in public, our team handles those things where there isn’t a police department to work with or to do that with, whether it’s a drone program or covering all those angles or perimeter,” Bowyer said.
So TPUSA was depending on the university police to do their job.
“There are some elements here where it’s like, there are people asking, ‘Well, why wasn’t this done?’ Charlie’s team would have done anything and everything, particularly if it was completely within our purview,” Bowyer said.
Charlie’s Security team are family. They would give their lives for him and any of us. We love them and are praying for them constantly through all this. pic.twitter.com/XMYR6k2SCB
— Tyler Bowyer (@tylerbowyer) September 25, 2025
He highlighted that the security team loved Kirk like a brother and would have taken a bullet for him, so they are dealing with the weight of his loss on their watch.
Should UVU be held responsible for failing to provide adequate security that would have saved Charlie’s life?
“We’re praying for them. We hope that everybody is praying for them, because they’re being unfairly targeted by people online who are making suggestions,” Bowyer said.
The COO acknowledged that there are lessons that must be taken from Kirk’s assassination.
“A really competent drone program, for example, would have saved Charlie’s life. That should be the standard protocol on every single campus. Without question, there should be eyes on every rooftop at all times,” Bowyer said.
He predicted that this and other failures leading to Kirk’s death will come out at the trial of the shooter.
Several responded to a video Bowyer posted on social media from the interview, regarding the security breakdown that led to Kirk’s death.
One commented, “just wondering why there wasn’t a drone flying and looking at those rooftops and windows.”
“I’ve addressed this. We have our own drone program. Shot down by Campus police. Orem Police has a state of the art program, the question I have is why the Campus police didn’t use it,” Bowyer responded.
I’ve addressed this. We have our own drone program. Shot down by Campus police. Orem Police has a state of the art program, the question I have is why the Campus police didn’t use it.
— Tyler Bowyer (@tylerbowyer) September 25, 2025
Another posted, “I really hated to say anything and I love you guys and I pray for yall daily. But it has bothered me so much that it was left unattended. I mean, isn’t that part of a routine check? You see where the speaker is going to be and you check every line of sight? Has the police department spoke at all about this?”
“Yes that is the police, as I have said. Not the bodyguards. Huge failure in my opinion. A drone operation who have been the fail proof backup to [not physically securing the roof],” Bowyer answered.
Yes that is the police, as I have said. Not the bodyguards. Huge failure in my opinion. A drone operation who have been the fail proof backup to that.
— Tyler Bowyer (@tylerbowyer) September 26, 2025
Bowyer’s assessment makes sense. TPUSA’s security team obviously would not have the personnel to physically secure all rooftops with a line of sight on Kirk. Their job was to stay close to their protectee.
But the Utah Valley University police should have had drone surveillance up. Barring that, the police should have permitted TPUSA to use their security drones.
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