71-Year-Old Man Arrested After Confession Related to Shooting

A 71-year-old man, George Zinn, has been arrested after he allegedly tried to mislead authorities regarding the murder of Charlie Kirk, co-founder of Turning Point USA. Zinn is facing charges for falsely confessing to the murder and for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Zinn was taken into custody on a Monday following the shooting incident at Utah Valley University. He faces a second-degree felony charge for obstructing justice. Court records indicate that he will not be granted bail.

In addition to the obstruction of justice charge, authorities found inappropriate material on Zinn’s cellphone. He initially hesitated to allow a search of his phone but later admitted to viewing inappropriate sexual content, according to local sheriff’s deputies.

During the search, investigators discovered over 20 images of child sexual abuse, involving minors believed to be between the ages of 5 and 12. Additionally, there were explicit messages that Zinn sent to others discussing this material.

Documents from the UVU campus police revealed that right after Kirk was shot on September 10, Zinn was heard shouting, “I shot him – now shoot me!” Video footage of officers restraining him was widely shared online, leading many to think he was the shooter. When questioned about the firearm used, Zinn reportedly stated, “I am not going to tell you.”

However, he later changed his story, admitting that he was not the shooter and had no knowledge of who was. He suggested that he had attempted to distract attention from the real culprit, hoping to become “a martyr.” Initially, Zinn was taken to the hospital for a medical issue before being transferred to police custody. During interrogation, he confessed that his false narrative was aimed at confusing the investigation, expressing satisfaction that his actions gave the actual suspect a chance to escape.

Zinn was subsequently charged with obstruction of justice linked to Kirk’s murder and the sexual exploitation of minors due to the abhorrent content found on his phone.

Authorities have since arrested the true suspect in Kirk’s murder, identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson from Washington County, Utah. Prosecutors have charged Robinson with capital murder and plan to pursue the death penalty. Other charges include aggravated murder, discharging a firearm causing serious injury, obstruction of justice, witness tampering, and committing a violent crime in front of a child.

Interestingly, Robinson referenced Zinn’s arrest in messages to his roommate on the day of the shooting. When asked if the police had apprehended the shooter, he claimed to be the actual killer, noting that law enforcement had initially caught “some crazy old dude” instead of him, as stated in the messages presented by prosecutors.

Zinn reportedly has a lengthy criminal history in Utah. He’s described as a disgruntled political activist known for his disruptive behavior at political events aimed at challenging authority figures. In 2013, he was arrested after sending emails suggesting he could plant bombs at a marathon finish line shortly after the infamous Boston Marathon bombing, leading to felony charges of “threat of terrorism,” which he later pleaded down to probation.

More recently, in August, he faced charges for criminal trespassing in Provo Justice Court.