(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The man who helped alleged Charlie Kirk assassin Tyler Robinson flee the scene—seemingly inadvertently—was sentenced last week to 15 years in prison for unrelated crimes.
George Zinn, 71, infamously shouted, “I shot him, now shoot me!” in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Zinn’s antics distracted law enforcement while the real shooter was jumping off a Utah Valley University rooftop and making his getaway.
After being taken to the Utah Valley University police department, he reportedly continued to say that he shot Kirk. After he asked for a lawyer, he then said that he didn’t shoot Kirk—but that he said he did to draw attention away from the real shooter.
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
“Zinn was later taken to the hospital because of a medical condition, and Zinn reportedly told an officer that he was glad he said he shot the individual so the real suspect could get away. He also said he ‘wanted to be a martyr for the person who was shot,’” ABC4 reported at the time.
Investigators found child pornography on his electronic devices during their investigation, and he was charged with both obstruction and possessing child sexual abuse material.
Last Thursday, Fourth District Court Judge Thomas Low reportedly sentenced Zinn to spend up to 15 years in prison for those crimes—15 years for the child abuse charge and five years for the obstruction, with the sentences running concurrently.
“In Utah, it’s up to the parole board to ultimately decide how much time Zinn will spend behind bars,” noted the Salt Lake Tribune.
Meanwhile, Robinson has a hearing set for Tuesday as his lawyers try to ban the Utah County attorney’s office from prosecuting the case. The defense attorneys are arguing that Utah County has a conflict of interest because one of the prosecutors is related to a witness of Kirk’s death.
Ken Silva is the editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/jd_cashless.
