The head of Charlie Kirk’s security detail says he warned Utah Valley University police about rooftop access two days before Kirk was assassinated, stunning podcast host Shawn Ryan during Monday’s episode of “The Shawn Ryan Show.” Brian Harpole of Integrity Security Solutions said he alerted UVU’s police chief on Sept. 8 about a rooftop near the event space — the same rooftop where the alleged assassin positioned himself on Sept. 10.
Harpole told Ryan he contacted Chief Long directly, sharing messages he claims prove the warning was made and ignored. “We have some correspondence with the chief of the school uh on that day, on Monday, before Charlie was killed,” Harpole said. “Why this hadn’t come out and why he won’t stand up like a man and admit this, I don’t know.”
He said he passed along a message from the student group flagging “student roof access pretty close to where CK will be set up.” Harpole said he immediately pushed for controlled access or permission to post one of his own personnel on the roof. He emphasized that the rooftop overlooked the Sorenson Center where Kirk was speaking.
According to Harpole, Chief Long responded confidently and dismissed concerns. “He comes back and his last correspondence was, ‘I got you covered,’” Harpole said. “What else am I to do when a command level person from an accredited police department says, ‘I’ve got this area’?”
Shawn Ryan was visibly stunned as Harpole read the messages. “Holy shit,” Ryan said after hearing the alleged exchange. Harpole added that despite multiple attempts to reach Chief Long since the assassination, “He’s never called us back.”
Video from the night of the assassination shows the accused shooter jumping off the roof and fleeing into the darkness. Police arrested 22-year-old Tyler Robinson early on Sept. 12 and charged him with killing the TPUSA founder during the campus event.
Harpole told Ryan the security failure was preventable and devastating. “Probably literally all they had to do is post anybody at that stairwell,” he said.
Utah Valley University did not immediately respond to a request for comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation.