Charlie Kirk assassination prompts questions about campus security during political events

Conservative activist Charlie Kirk was well-known, garnering support and controversy for his traditional Christian views on gender, gay rights, and race.

Still, the 31-year-old didn’t have the kind of title that criminologist Alex Del Carmen says would have forced campus security into months of preparation.

“I will tell you that college campus events are difficult to secure, especially when you don't have people that have a political grade that bring their own security,” said Del Carmen.

But amid a wave of political attacks, he said it’s something institutions will have to reconsider.  

“Well, hopefully time will tell and will prove us that this is not more than just a pause and reflection moment, but rather one where people are going to start taking this really seriously,” he said. “We cannot assume that a campus event is going to not necessarily be subject to some sort of an attack or some sort of an infiltration by someone that's going to cause harm or even an assassination attempt.”

Thursday, the Dallas County Young Republicans and Dallas County Young Democrats announced they were postponing an upcoming debate “out of an abundance of caution.”

In Austin, the University of Texas’s chapter of the Young Conservatives of Texas also expressed concern.

“I think we’re definitely going to be requesting more security at our events that we hold, especially if we’re inviting controversial speakers,” said chapter director Ethan Xu.

Del Carmen, a college professor of nearly 30 years, said he expects universities will ramp up security: coordinating with local law enforcement, utilizing drones, metal detectors, and bomb sniffing dogs, and sweeping the internet for threats

Still, he said, resources are limited on many campuses.

“We're going to have to rethink what events are going to be prioritized, what events may inspire hatred. And then of those events, which of those events are, quote unquote, necessary for a democracy to survive, but at the same time, what kind of security and what kind of budget do we have to provide a security protocol that would be commensurate with the person coming to campus?” said Del Carmen.