Man Who Falsely Claimed To Have Shot Charlie Kirk Now Faces Child Porn Charges
George Zinn is being held in the same jail as suspected killer Tyler Robinson.
A man detained at Utah Valley University shortly after the killing of Charlie Kirk now faces new charges after police allegedly found child sex abuse material on his phone.
George Zinn was in the crowd at the event and yelled that he was the shooter âto allow the actual suspect to flee.â
Mr. Zinn, 71, was taken into custody at the scene of the shooting after allegedly telling police, twice, âI shot him, now shoot me.â Images of Mr. Zinnâs arrest quickly spread on the internet, leading to incorrect reports that the shooter had been taken into custody.
Mr. Zinn suffered a medical emergency at the scene and was taken to a hospital.
While at the hospital he allegedly told FBI investigators he had lied and was not Kirkâs killer. The Utah County Sheriffâs Office says Mr. Zinn allowed investigators to look at his phone and they allegedly found numerous images of child sex abuse.
Mr. Zinn then allegedly admitted he uses his phone âto look at child sexual abuse material,â the sheriffâs office says. Investigators reported finding more than 20 images of child pornography with children as young as 5.
Mr. Zinn was released from the hospital and promptly booked into the Utah County Jail, the same facility where Tyler Robinson, who now faces capital murder charges in Kirkâs death, was sent.
Authorities say there is no evidence that Mr. Zinn colluded with the shooter, but he faces charges of obstruction of justice and sexual exploitation of a minor. A motion has been filed to hold Mr. Zinn without bail, KSL-TV reported. It was unclear if he had a lawyer.
Mr. Zinn has been arrested several times, mostly for trespassing in political spaces, according to the TV station. He also was accused of making a terrorist threat in 2013 after allegedly emailing Salt Lake City Marathon organizers asking if they âneeded anybody to help place bombs near the finish line.â
