The Utah Department of Public Safety has reported that a 71-year-old man from Utah, taken into custody shortly after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the founder of Turning Point USA, claims he “has no current connection to the shooting.”
A video showing George Hodgson Zinn being surrounded by police has circulated on social media, leading to speculation that he might have been the gunman. However, the narrative shifted quickly once authorities identified and talked to Zinn.
In a statement, UDPS noted, “We initially apprehended George Zinn as a suspect, but later released him and charged him with obstruction.” They also mentioned that another suspect, Zakaria Kureshi, was detained and subsequently released after questioning, confirming no links to the shooting for either individual.
As Zinn was being escorted by police, onlookers shouted various things, including harsh insults directed at him. In a moment captured on video, he even shouted provocatively at a protester, urging, “Shoot me! Shoot me!”
At one point, Zinn’s pants fell, necessitating police intervention to keep him away from the scene. The officers could be heard on camera noting, “He said he shot him, but I don’t know.”
Zinn, known to local police for frequent appearances at various events, has an arrest history that includes nearly 20 incidents spanning 25 years, involving charges ranging from criminal trespassing to obstruction of justice.
His most significant offense occurred in 2013 when he was accused of sending a bomb threat via email related to the Salt Lake City Marathon. Though he initially faced felony charges, he later pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor, resulting in probation, which he violated, leading to some prison time.
Described by the Salt Lake Tribune as an “occasionally ubiquitous activist,” Zinn has been a regular presence at political events, public ceremonies, and even film festivals. He was noted in a Florida report for promoting what was deemed a “baseless” claim about the 2020 presidential election during the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando in 2022.
In a piece for the Daily Utah Chronicle, Zinn expressed his frustrations about food prices on campus, remarking, “Who needs a gun when the robbers are occurring with sweet smiles?”
In July 2019, he was involved in a protest at the Utah Inland Port Authority that escalated into a physical confrontation with police. Zinn was also part of a sizable crowd welcoming President Barack Obama at the University of Utah in January 2009, expressing his approval of the new president.
