A 71-year-old man who falsely confessed to the fatal shooting of Turning Point USA executive director Charlie Kirk has been sentenced to up to 15 years in prison after pleading no contest to obstruction of justice and admitting to possessing child sexual abuse material.
George Zinn appeared before Judge Thomas Low in Utah state court on Thursday, where he pleaded no contest to a reduced charge of third-degree obstruction of justice related to the events at Utah Valley University (UVU) on 10 September 2025. He also pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation of minors.
According to court documents, Zinn began shouting “I shot him – now shoot me” immediately after Kirk was killed by a sniper while speaking at UVU. Video of officers restraining Zinn circulated online, leading some to believe he was the killer. However, after a medical episode and hospitalisation, Zinn allegedly told officers he was “glad he said he shot the individual so the real suspect could get away”.
The sexual exploitation charges stemmed from more than 20 images depicting child sexual abuse, including minors believed to be between five and 12 years old, as well as explicit messages sharing the imagery with others. Zinn reportedly told officers he had such material on his phone and was worried about investigators examining it.
Judge Low sentenced Zinn to up to five years for the obstruction plea and one to 15 years for the child sex crimes, to run concurrently. The Utah parole board will determine the actual length of imprisonment. Zinn’s criminal history in Utah spans three decades, including a 2013 arrest for allegedly asking marathon organisers if they needed help setting up bombs at the finish line, days after the Boston Marathon bombing.
Meanwhile, Tyler Robinson has been charged with aggravated murder in Kirk’s killing, one of several high-profile political violence incidents in the US in 2025. Prosecutors are seeking the death penalty against Robinson, who has pleaded not guilty.
