How universities handled security for Charlie Kirk

For years, Charlie Kirk’s appearances at college campuses were major events — drawing thousands of students and attracting protesters, often staged to maximize his interaction with the crowds of young conservatives he inspired

For years, Charlie Kirk’s appearances at college campuses were major events — drawing thousands of students and attracting protesters, often staged to maximize his interaction with the crowds of young conservatives he inspired.

And each event came with unique security risks, which campuses around the country handled case by case, according to interviews with Kirk’s former security chief and organizers at several colleges who spoke to NBC News.

Kirk's assassination Wednesday is raising questions about whether more should have been done at Utah Valley University, in Orem, where roughly 3,000 people came to hear the conservative activist speak.

People said they were able to walk in without passing any sort of security checkpoint, even though scannable tickets were required.

Just 20 minutes after the event's start time, as Kirk addressed the crowd from under a tent, a single bullet fired from a rooftop about 200 yards away hit Kirk; blood poured from his neck. President Donald Trump announced his death hours later.