by WorldTribune Staff / 247 Real News September 16, 2025
The 71-year-old man who was seen in a viral video being led away from the Charlie Kirk shooting scene at Utah Valley University in handcuffs has now confessed that he was trying to distract police from the real assassin.
The video of George Zinn led many to believe he was the shooter. FOX 13 Salt Lake City reported that police documents indicate Zinn was arrested after allegedly screaming, “I shot him. Now shoot me!” When no officers shot, Zinn allegedly yelled again, “I shot him. Now shoot me!”
Zinn was taken to the police station and, once there, allegedly explained that he did what he did “to draw attention from the real shooter.” Thereafter he “was booked into the Utah County Jail on a charge of Obstruction of Justice, a second degree felony.”
The Salt Lake Tribune noted, “Zinn is known for showing up — and occasionally disrupting or being arrested at — events ranging from political speeches to the Sundance Film Festival to various protests.”
The New York Post reported on Monday that Zinn is also now accused of keeping “graphic” sexual photos of children on his phone, according to law enforcement.
Zinn was charged with four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor Monday after investigators found more than 20 images of kids as young as 5 years old, at least partially naked and “posing” in a “sexual” way, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release Tuesday.
“Zinn admitted … that he gets sexual gratification from viewing and sharing [child sexual abuse material] images with others, and that his preferred victim age is 5 to 12 years old,” the agency alleged.
Zinn is being held in county jail.
The charges against Zinn come as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, who police believe actually shot Kirk, was hit with aggravated murder and other felony counts Tuesday.
Robinson was captured more than 30 hours after he allegedly assassinated the popular conservative commentator and married father of two.
Authorities also made clear there is no evidence Robinson and Zinn colluded during the assassination.
Older man arrested at Kirk shooting scene confesses to distracting police from real assassin added by Editor Two on
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