The First Man Arrested After Claiming To Have Shot Charlie Kirk, Charged With Possesion Of Child P*rn

Throw the book at this man.

The first man, initially arrested in connection with the assassination of Charlie Kirk, has been arrested on child pornography charges.

Authorities originally arrested Zinn after he shouted, “I shot him,” just seconds after Charlie Kirk was shot in the neck.

He was later found not to be the shooter after he admitted to authorities that he was creating a distraction for the shooter.

Here’s the moment he was first arrested:

BREAKING: George Zinn, 71, arrested at the scene of Charlie Kirk’s assassination and who falsely claimed to be the shooter, has now been charged with felony obstruction of justice and four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor after the FBI discovered images of underage girls… pic.twitter.com/NwE8LMkOqB

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) September 16, 2025

🚨 JUST IN: George Zinn, the old man arrested at Charlie Kirk’s shooting, has now been charged with possession of CHlLD P0RN

Give this guy the same punishment as Kirk’s ACTUAL kiIIer

He’s already been charged with FELONY obstruction after he admitted to staging a distraction to… pic.twitter.com/wFdNUUUmMp

— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) September 16, 2025

Newsweek had more details to report on Zinn’s arrest:

George Zinn, who allegedly fabricated a confession in the killing of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, has been arrested on charges of obstruction of justice and possession of child sexual abuse material, Utah authorities said.

Authorities said Monday that Zinn, 71, was arrested after the shooting was taken into custody because he shouted, “I shot him, now shoot me.” According to a probable cause statement, the man later admitted he made the remark so the real suspect, later revealed to be Tyler Robinson, could escape.

Authorities later traced the post back to him during an investigation that uncovered illicit material on his devices. Investigators said a review of Zinn’s phone revealed more than 20 explicit images of children ages 5 to 12, along with graphic messages in which he admitted receiving gratification from the material.

Zinn faces multiple felony counts, including obstruction of justice and four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, and is being held in the Utah County Jail. Authorities said there is no evidence Zinn colluded with the actual gunman. Zinn is expected to face his first court appearance later this week.

The original person of interest, George Zinn, 71, has allegedly confessed that he pretended to have shot Charlie Kirk to help the real killer escape.

He is being held without bond and charged with felony obstruction. pic.twitter.com/ltgCG5VAjJ

— National Conservative (@NatCon2022) September 16, 2025

The Guardian reported Zinn stated he was glad he created a distraction so the real suspect could get away:

Documents filed in Zinn’s case by UVU campus police allege that he began screaming, “I shot him – now shoot me,” in the immediate aftermath of Kirk’s killing at Utah Valley University (UVU) on 10 September. Video of officers holding Zinn down was widely circulated online, leading some to believe that authorities had quickly arrested a suspect in the killing of the conservative political activist.

Then, when asked by an officer where the gun used to kill Kirk was, Zinn allegedly replied: “I am not going to tell you.” Police contend that Zinn subsequently admitted that he was not the shooter and did not know who was – and he purportedly claimed that he had acted how he did to draw attention away from the real killer in hopes of becoming “a martyr” for Kirk.

Zinn was brought to a hospital after experiencing an unspecified medical episode and told officers he was “glad he said he shot the individual so the real suspect could get away”, according to police documents as well as a statement from authorities.

He allegedly was reluctant to let investigators look at his phone, saying he used the device “to look at child sexual abuse material”, local sheriff’s deputies wrote in a separate report, as the Utah news outlet KSL noted. A search of Zinn’s phone allegedly confirmed there were more than 20 images depicting child sexual abuse, including of minors believed to be between 5 and 12 years old – as well as explicit messages sharing the imagery with others, investigators said.