In the seconds after conservative firebrand Charlie Kirk was shot at a speaking event on a college campus in Utah, video shows security guards surrounding the stage and springing into action to protect him.

In those hectic seconds, it was unclear where the shot came from, or if the gunman would fire another. Footage shows those security guards staying low to the ground, drawing their guns at their sides in case of more fire, and quickly tending to Kirk’s wound.

Kirk was rushed to hospital where he died from his injuries.

But the attack has left many questioning what security measures were in place at the event – and if this could have been prevented.

What do we know about security at Kirk’s event?
Some 3,000 people gathered to hear Kirk speak at Utah Valley University (UVU) on Wednesday for his open-air college debate series.

Dispersed in the crowd were six police officers working the event, the police chief at Utah Valley University, Jeff Long said.

The event happened in a university quad- often used for events – that is nestled in between multiple buildings. Police say the suspect shot Kirk from the roof of one of those buildings.

It remains unclear exactly how many people were working the event as private security for Kirk, but videos shared online show five to seven security guards surrounding him on the stage.

The FBI did not confirm if Kirk was wearing a bulletproof vest when he was shot, nor did Kirk’s organisation Turning Point USA.

But investigators have said that he was shot in the neck- an area not usually protected by a vest.

What security is standard at events like this?
Kirk – a well known figure with millions of social media followers – had faced death threats in the past, he previously said.

The threats made against him should have been taken into consideration when his security team and the campus police were conducting their threat assessments, Tin Nguyen, a University of Nebraska professor who researches security practices at large events, told the BBC.

The number of police on the ground was likely dictated, at least in part, by the history of the area, he said.

“Orem, Utah, is a safe low crime area – as a result of that security and law enforcement probably thought it was really unlikely something like that would happen,” Mr Nguyen said. “Historical information doesn’t always set you up well to prevent against events that have never happened.”

The size and nature of the event also impacted security measures by making it difficult to control access, experts told the BBC.

Protocols like bag checks and magnetometers, which are routine parts of indoor events, are not typically used at outdoor functions.

Additional security mechanisms like drones could have been essential equipment for the situation, Christopher Ragone, who runs Executive Security Concepts, a US security firm, told the BBC.

The BBC has not been able to verify if a drone was present at the Kirk event. Experts have also said it is unlikely a drone was present.

A drone would have provided the vantage point to see the rooftops that surrounded the open-air event, Mr Ragone said.

With no standard for security events for personalities like Kirk, it is up to the individuals and their budget, he said.

Mr Ragone was scheduled to bring a speaker to another scheduled Kirk event at Virginia Tech, which was also part of his college-campus tour.

At that event, Mr Ragone planned to coordinate closely with the university’s police department. He said they work in lock-step, as the university has to do things like give permission for private security guards to carry their weapons on the grounds.

Private security, he noted, depends on the local resources available in the area, but speaking in an outdoor venue, like the one in Utah, makes the job of private security much more difficult, Mr Ragone said.

With fewer protocols in place, the suspect had easier access: “You really only need a firearm and a clear line of sight,” Mr Nguyen said.

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