The fatal shooting of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk at a Utah university last year prompted state officials to seek protection against violent attacks and potential lawsuit financial hits. Despite President Donald Trump labelling the incident an act of terrorism, it was unclear if Utah's existing terrorism insurance policy would provide coverage. Consequently, two months after Kirk's death, Utah purchased active-assailant insurance to shield its university campuses, schools, and state agencies.

This fast-growing product, also known as deadly weapons or malicious attack insurance, covers businesses against losses from violent acts, including active shooters and trucks driven into crowds. Schools, local governments, private equity real estate trusts, and political campaigns are among the groups buying billions of dollars of coverage against financial risks posed by gunmen. Since the policy's inception, it has already been used to address employee concerns about a colleague's suspicious behavior, providing access to a crisis hotline and private security services that have given state employees a sense of security.