UVU President’s Daughters Were Steps Away When Charlie Kirk Was Killed

Clear Facts

• Dr. Jon Anderson’s two daughters and son-in-law were approximately 10 yards from Charlie Kirk when the conservative activist was assassinated on September 10, 2025, at Utah Valley University
• UVU will close campus on the one-year anniversary of Kirk’s death, with Turning Point USA hosting a memorial event at 6:30 p.m. MT on September 10, 2026
• Accused assassin Tyler Robinson, 23, pleaded not guilty to all charges on September 1 and faces the death penalty if convicted of aggravated murder

The new president of Utah Valley University has a deeply personal connection to the tragedy that shook his campus before he even arrived. Dr. Jon Anderson’s family members were mere yards away when conservative leader Charlie Kirk was gunned down in the school’s central courtyard.

“I had two daughters and a son-in-law, they were about 10 yards from the assassination when it happened,” Anderson told Fox News Digital. “And so I knew that our future would be tied to it in one way or the other.”

Anderson, who joined UVU just before the fall 2026 semester began, was serving as president of Pennsylvania Western University when Kirk was killed on September 10, 2025. His wife called to break the devastating news.

“When the opportunity came up to come home — this is the place that I’m from — and help this institution move forward and heal, it’s something I leaned into immediately,” he said. “I wanted to be here to help in any way that I could, and I have found since coming here, this place is so resilient. Its people are gritty, they’re ready to move forward, and they’re to learn from everything that we can learn from that day.”

The university will close campus on September 10, the one-year anniversary of Kirk’s assassination, as students, faculty and staff continue processing the trauma in their own ways.

“I think one thing all of us at UVU have learned is that traumatic events, sometimes there’s an initial reaction and sometimes there is a delayed reaction, and it’s important for us to be very empathetic with each other as everyone goes through the healing process in their own way,” Anderson said.

Turning Point USA, the conservative organization Kirk founded, will hold a memorial event on campus at the UCCU Center at 6:30 p.m. MT on September 10. Kirk was speaking at an event sponsored by TPUSA’s UVU chapter when he was killed.

“We want people to have their own space to heal in their own way,” Anderson explained. “TPUSA is using some space on campus to hold their event here, and we are supportive and reflective of that.”

Work is underway on a potential permanent memorial, with a group including board members and students exploring options. Anderson said the process will be deliberate and thoughtful.

“They’re sorting through lots of voices, getting people to the table to talk through what that might look like, looking at other institutions, what they have done,” he said. “I can’t guarantee that it’s going to be anytime soon, but I can tell you if and when that happens, it will be thoughtfully done and well placed.”

Despite the tragedy that occurred during a political event, Anderson emphasized that UVU remains committed to providing a forum for diverse viewpoints while maintaining institutional neutrality.

“We don’t jump in the fray, but we host the frays,” he said.

“We allow people to come in and focus on civil dialogue, engaging in new and good ideas, and that’s where we hope to excel,” he continued. “A place that anyone can come with any idea, have a place for open, honest, violence-free debate, and that’s what our future is, and that is what institutions of higher education are, when they are at their best.”

Tyler Robinson, 23, the suspected assassin, pleaded not guilty to all charges through his attorneys at his arraignment on September 1 — nearly a year after his arrest. He’s due back in court on October 23, when Judge Tony Graf Jr. could set a trial date.

Robinson could face the death penalty if convicted of the top charge of aggravated murder.

Kirk, 31, was married with two children.

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