Charlie’s death is still fresh in everyone’s mind. But the details aren’t making sense.
Now a false confession to Charlie Kirk’s assassination threw investigators for a loop.
George Zinn’s False Confession in Kirk Assassination
On September 10, George Zinn, a 71-year-old Utah political agitator, falsely confessed to shooting conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, claiming he aimed to “draw attention from the real shooter,” according to court records cited by Fox 13. Zinn approached police immediately after Kirk’s death, shouting, “I shot him, now shoot me,” despite being unarmed.
During a police interview, he admitted the deception, stating he wanted to create a distraction to aid the actual shooter’s escape. Video footage captured Zinn, pants around his ankles, being escorted by police as a horrified crowd, mistakenly believing he was the shooter, hurled insults.
Zinn, a known “gadfly” with a history of trespassing arrests at political events, faces a second-degree felony charge of obstruction of justice for delaying the investigation. The real suspect, 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, was arrested on September 12, charged with aggravated m*rder, felony discharge of a firearm, and obstruction of justice, with no evidence linking him to Zinn.
Stakes of Zinn’s Callous Obstruction
Zinn’s false confession represents a reckless act of obstruction that jeopardized the manhunt for Kirk’s k*ller, wasting critical law enforcement resources and amplifying public panic.
By claiming responsibility, Zinn diverted police attention at a pivotal moment, potentially allowing the real shooter, Tyler Robinson, additional time to evade capture.
The Salt Lake Tribune reported that Zinn’s actions “needlessly took up law enforcement resources at a critical juncture,” delaying the investigation into a high-profile political assassination.
This distraction heightened the chaos at Utah Valley University, where 3,000 attendees scrambled for safety, and fueled misinformation as social media wrongly identified Zinn as the shooter.
His stunt, described by Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill as characteristic of a “gadfly” with a history of disruptive behavior, including a 2013 bomb threat conviction, undermined public trust in the investigation. The stakes are profound: such obstruction risks prolonging justice, endangering public safety, and escalating political tensions in an already polarized climate, especially given Kirk’s death as a targeted attack on free speech.
Trump’s Stance on Political Violence Vindicated
President Trump’s swift condemnation of Kirk’s assassination and his push to hold accountable those contributing to political violence, including through distractions like Zinn’s, are validated by the serious consequences of such acts.
Trump, who ordered flags lowered to half-staff and called Kirk a “martyr” for free speech, has emphasized the need to target networks enabling violence, a stance that Zinn’s actions inadvertently support.
The administration’s focus on investigating a possible “extended network” aiding Robinson aligns with Trump’s broader argument that subversive elements, even those not directly involved, exacerbate political unrest.
Zinn’s history of disruptive behavior, including trespassing at events like the 2019 Utah Inland Port Authority protest and the 2013 Salt Lake City Marathon bomb threat, underscores the potential for such figures to destabilize critical situations.
Trump’s call for justice, backed by FBI Director Kash Patel’s rapid identification of Robinson, reflects a necessary response to ensure that obstructions like Zinn’s do not shield perpetrators or perpetuate a cycle of violence, reinforcing the urgency of addressing all forms of interference in high-stakes investigations.
