A 71-year-old man who was briefly detained following the assassination of Charlie Kirk has been charged with obstruction of justice after admitting to faking a confession to help the suspected gunman escape. Separately, the man is also facing charges related to the possession of child sex abuse material.
Utah County Sheriff Michael Smith confirmed that George Zinn, the man in question, told police he “yelled that he was the shooter to allow the actual suspect to flee.” Court documents from campus police allege that Zinn shouted, “I shot him—now shoot me.” The prime suspect in the killing, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, reportedly texted his roommate about a “crazy old dude” being arrested, which appeared to acknowledge Zinn’s actions.
Sheriff Smith stated that investigators found no evidence of Zinn colluding with the gunman. However, during the investigation, agents found more than 20 images of children in various stages of undress and sexual posing on Zinn’s phone. Zinn has since been charged with four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
The judge in the case ordered that Zinn be held without bail, citing him as a “substantial danger” to the community. Zinn is well-known in Salt Lake City for frequently attempting to disrupt public events and has a history of minor crimes.
Tyler Robinson, the prime suspect in the killing of Charlie Kirk, has been charged with seven counts, including aggravated murder. Kirk was a high-profile conservative activist and media personality known for his outspoken views.
Source: BBC