George Zinn, 71, has been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison after pleading no contest to obstruction of justice and guilty to child sexual abuse material charges. The case stems from the fatal shooting of Turning Point USA executive director Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University on 10 September 2025.
Zinn falsely confessed to the killing, shouting “I shot him – now shoot me” at the scene. Video of his arrest spread online, leading some to believe he was the shooter. However, he later told officers he made the false confession to allow the real suspect to escape, according to police documents.
Authorities also discovered over 20 images of child sexual abuse on Zinn’s phone, involving minors aged 5 to 12, and explicit messages sharing the imagery. He was charged with multiple counts of sexual exploitation of minors.
On Thursday, in Utah state court, Judge Thomas Low sentenced Zinn to up to five years for obstruction and one to 15 years for the exploitation charges, to run concurrently. The Utah parole board will determine his actual release date.
Zinn has a criminal history dating back three decades, including a 2013 arrest for allegedly asking marathon organizers if they needed help setting up bombs after the Boston Marathon bombing.
Tyler Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder in Kirk’s killing, with prosecutors seeking the death penalty. Robinson has pleaded not guilty.
