Police briefly detained a 71-year-old local political activist after conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was shot dead at a Utah Valley University event on Wednesday, then released him once investigators determined he was not the shooter as a manhunt continued for the gunman.
Authorities said officers took George Zinn into custody at the chaotic scene on the Orem campus on Wednesday afternoon on an obstruction charge but later released him after confirming he did not match the description of the person who fired the fatal shot. "Shortly after the shooting, we did have a suspect in custody, George Zinn," Utah Public Safety Commissioner Beau Mason said at a news conference. "But he was released from custody after we identified that he did not match the shooting suspect and was not an accurate person of interest."
Video and eyewitness accounts from the event showed chaos following the shooting, including images of Zinn being handcuffed and escorted through a shell-shocked crowd. Witnesses alleged Zinn shouted at police and made provocative statements in the moments after the attack; those allegations were reported by local media and remain part of the ongoing inquiry. Another individual also was taken into custody and later released after FBI questioning, officials said.
Kirk, 31, a prominent conservative influencer and founder of Turning Point USA, was struck as he began a question-and-answer session, university and law enforcement officials said. Utah Valley University said the shot was fired from the top of the Losee Center, roughly 200 feet from where Kirk was speaking. Video circulating on social media appeared to show Kirk collapse after being shot; university officials evacuated the campus and canceled classes until further notice.
President Trump confirmed on social media later Wednesday that Kirk had died and ordered U.S. flags lowered to half-staff through Sunday evening in Kirk’s honor. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox said he had spoken with the president and called the shooting "heartbreaking," and Orem Mayor David Young urged residents to report any information that might assist investigators.
Zinn, a white-haired figure who has been a conspicuous presence at local political events for decades, has a lengthy history of arrests and disruptive incidents, according to news reports and law enforcement records. Local reporting shows Zinn has faced roughly two dozen criminal charges over several decades, including trespassing and disorderly conduct. In 2013 he pleaded to charges related to a threat to plant a bomb and was placed on probation and ordered to undergo mental health treatment, The Salt Lake Tribune reported. He also was arrested during a 2019 protest and has regularly appeared at Republican gatherings since the 1980s.
Officials emphasized that those past incidents did not make him the suspect in the shooting and that the investigation remained focused on locating the person who fired the fatal shot. "We will bring to justice the individual responsible for this tragedy," Gov. Cox wrote on social media.
Eventgoers described scenes of panic and confusion as people fled the venue. A witness who was near the stage said Kirk was struck and collapsed; others said first responders carried him from the area. The event was the first stop on what organizers described as Kirk’s "Great American Comeback Tour." He had posted to social media minutes before the shooting, writing that the audience at Utah Valley University was "fired up."
Federal and local law enforcement agencies are coordinating the investigation, canvassing the campus and reviewing video and other evidence to identify the shooter. Authorities did not release a description of the suspect or a motive and asked anyone with information to contact investigators. The university said it would continue to cooperate with law enforcement as the search for the gunman continues.