An elderly political activist who was first detained at the scene of the shooting that wounded conservative commentator Charlie Kirk told investigators he lied when he claimed he had shot Kirk, according to police documents. George Zinn, 71, told officers he made the false statement to create a diversion so the actual shooter could get away, and later said he "wanted to be a martyr for the person who was shot," authorities said.
Zinn was taken into custody minutes after the shooting at Utah Valley University, where Kirk, 31, was struck in the neck during an event. Authorities initially listed a suspect in custody but then reversed that notice after determining Zinn was not the shooter. He was later released from a hospital for a pre-existing medical condition and was ordered held without bail by a judge on Monday. Prosecutors have charged him with second-degree felony obstruction of justice, saying police resources were diverted from finding the real killer because of his statements.
Police reports say Zinn repeatedly asked to see his attorney before admitting he had lied. Video widely shared on social media showed him being detained as bystanders hurled abuse, with one witness shouting, "How dare you, you f***ing monster!" Another recording captured Zinn challenging the crowd to "shoot me," while an officer at the scene was heard saying, "he said he shot him, but I don't know."
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill told the Salt Lake Tribune that Zinn is a long-familiar presence at political events in Utah and that his office has prosecuted him numerous times dating back to the 1980s. Gill described Zinn as a libertarian conservative and a persistent gadfly at public gatherings. Many of his past arrests were for trespassing; his most serious prior case was a 2013 charge that he threatened to plant bombs at the finish line of the Salt Lake City Marathon. Zinn took a plea deal in that case and later served a year in jail after violating probation, Gill said. Officials said they had previously tried to place Zinn in mental health court for misdemeanor charges, but he did not participate.
Investigators have since concentrated on an alleged shooter identified as 22-year-old Tyler Robinson. Authorities said they arrested Robinson roughly 33 hours after the shooting and recovered a high-powered hunting rifle in a wooded area near the university. FBI Director Kash Patel told Fox News that DNA recovered from a towel wrapped around the rifle matched Robinson and that DNA also linked Robinson to a screwdriver found on the rooftop from which the fatal shot was fired. Patel said investigators recovered the contents of a note Robinson had written before the attack, in which Robinson wrote that he had an opportunity to "take out" Kirk and planned to do so; officials did not provide the note in full.
Authorities said Robinson has not been cooperating with investigators. Officials released photographs and descriptions of a man they sought after the shooting and asked the public for help identifying him before his arrest. Law enforcement credited assistance from relatives and other investigative leads in locating the suspect.
Utah law allows the death penalty for certain murders; former President Donald Trump has said he supports capital punishment in cases like this. Prosecutors have not announced whether they will seek that sentence.
Zinn faces obstruction charges for allegedly impeding the investigation by diverting law enforcement attention, while Robinson faces homicide and related counts in connection with the attack. Court proceedings for both men remain pending. Authorities continued to review evidence and public tips as they work toward prosecutions related to the UVU shooting.