In the confusion after a public assassination, one man’s words briefly hijacked a murder investigation and later carried serious consequences. On Thursday, a Utah court sentenced a 71-year-old man who falsely claimed he killed Charlie Kirk to prison, with a sentence of up to 15 years.
The incident happened moments after Kirk was fatally shot by a sniper while speaking at Utah Valley University in September 2025. As police rushed to secure the scene, George Zinn shouted that he was the shooter and demanded officers shoot him. Video of Zinn being restrained spread rapidly online, briefly misleading the public and complicating the early stages of the investigation.
According to court documents, Zinn later admitted the confession was false. After suffering a medical episode and being taken to a hospital, he told officers he was “glad he said he shot the individual so the real suspect could get away.” Investigators said he also disclosed that his cellphone contained illegal material and that he feared police would examine it.
That disclosure led to additional charges. Authorities said they found more than 20 images of child sexual abuse on Zinn’s phone, involving minors believed to be between five and 12 years old, along with explicit messages sharing the material with others. Prosecutors charged him with obstruction of justice and multiple counts of sexual exploitation of minors.
At sentencing, Zinn pleaded no contest to a reduced, third-degree obstruction charge and pleaded guilty to two exploitation counts. Fourth District Court Judge Thomas Low sentenced him to up to five years in prison for obstruction and one to 15 years for the exploitation charges, with the sentences to run concurrently.
A state parole board will determine the actual length of his imprisonment. Meanwhile, prosecutors continue to pursue the accused gunman in Kirk’s killing, seeking the death penalty.
