Man Arrested Immediately After Charlie Kirk Assassination Was Trying to Help the Shooter: Prosecutors
A 71-year-old man named George Zinn was the frist person arrested at the scene after conservative figure Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at Utah Valley University. Although initially suspected, police later determined Zinn had no direct involvement in the shooting. He was arrested on charges of obstruction of justice, a second-degree felony, after falsely claiming he was the shooter to divert attention from the real perpetrator. Zinn reportedly told police he wanted to be a martyr for kirk. He has a long history of criminal behavior and has been known for disruptive actions at political events. The Salt Lake County District Attorney described him as eccentric but primarily a nuisance rather than a serious threat.
The first man arrested after conservative icon Charlie Kirk was shot dead last week has now been locked up on charges.
George Zinn, 71, was taken away from Utah Valley University by police immediately after Kirk was gunned down, but officials later said he had no connection to the crime.
Zinn was arrested on suspicion of obstruction of justice, according to KTVX-TV.
Zinn was admitted to a hospital on the day of the shooting. He was released Monday and locked up in Utah County Jail on suspicion of obstruction of justice in a capital first-degree felony case. The charge is a second-degree felony.
“I shot him, now shoot me” – George Zinn
There were too many people in that audience who wanted Charlie Kirk dead, including this political agitator and nut job.
Make no mistake, in the aftermath of a shooting, especially one in a venue like this, there is mass chaos. LE did a… pic.twitter.com/Hej7jHC5R5
— Jennifer Coffindaffer (@CoffindafferFBI) September 16, 2025
In an affidavit, Utah Valley University Police Detective Michael Dutson said Zinn approached him after Kirk was shot, according to KSL-TV.
“[Zinn] immediately started yelling at me, ‘I shot him, now shoot me,’” Dutson wrote in the document.
“I could see both of his hands and could not see a weapon,” he said.
When asked where the gun was, he replied, “I am not going to tell you,” according to KTVX.
Dutson said that after being taken to the Utah Valley University police offices, Zinn asked for an attorney and said “he did not shoot the individual,” saying that he “did it to draw attention from the real shooter.”
Zinn later told officers he “was glad he said he shot the individual so the real suspect could get away,” the affidavit said. “He also stated to officers that he wanted to be a martyr for the person who was shot.”
Zinn has a history of criminal charges and convictions. In 2013, he was convicted of making a terroristic threat at the Salt Lake City Marathon.
The Old Man Arrested On Site Claiming To Be Charlie Kirk’s Shooter Admitted To Police He Lied To Distract From The Real Shooter!
George Zinn, who police arrested and dragged out in cuffs with his pants down at Utah Valley University immediately after Charlie Kirk was fatally… pic.twitter.com/tYcFVkHpOo
— LIZ CROKIN (@LizCrokin) September 16, 2025
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill said Zinn’s criminal history dates back to the 1980s, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
“He’s a person who can be odd, and has those kinds of sometimes odd behavior challenges,” Gill said, “but by and large, he’s more of a gadfly than anything else.”
Gill said Zinn is often arrested on suspicion of trespassing. He said Zinn would “give me a hard time for being a Dem.”
“Almost every political event you can think of, there was always George somewhere in the background, listening,” Gill said.
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