#Socialites, get a load of this! The elderly Utah man who was initially detained after falsely claiming to be Charlie Kirk‘s shooter has been hit with child porn charges after investigators searched his phone.
Charlie Kirk’s Fatal Shooting Shakes The Nation
On September 10, American right-wing activist Charlie Kirk was fatally shot in the neck. The 31-year-old controversial Conservative commentator was addressing an audience on the campus of Utah Valley University at the time of his assassination.
Kirk, also known as “The Donald Trump Whisperer,” was kicking off his company Turning Point USA’s “American Comeback Tour.” Just 20 minutes into his speech, a bullet struck the left side of his neck as he answered a question about Black crime, gun violence, and more.
The crowd at Utah Valley University was left in shock as first responders rushed in to help. He was later pronounced dead. He leaves behind his wife Erika Kirk, and their two children, ages 1 and 3.
RELATED: Charlie Kirk’s Wife Speaks Out Since His Death, Vows To Continue His Legacy
Police Arrest Two Utah Men In Charlie Kirk Shooting, One Falsely Claimed To Be Shooter
Immediately following the incident, authorities detained an elderly Utah man. Eyewitnesses told news outlets that the older man shouted out that he’d “do it again” as police officers arrested him. Once in custody, police identified the man as 71-year-old George Zinn. However, FBI Director Kash Patel later updated that the man initially taken in was released and their suspect was still on the run.
On September 12, police updated that Charlie Kirk’s latest killing suspect was in custody. Police identified 22-year-old Tyler Robinson as the shooter. Authorities claimed Robinson confessed to his father who then turned him in.
However, during the investigation of George Zinn, police said he claimed to be the shooter. While the arresting officers did not observe Zinn carrying a weapon, they ultimately arrested him after he yelled, “I shot him, now shoot me.”
Police asked Zinn where he was hiding his weapon, to which he allegedly refused to tell the officers. Officers performed a search, but were still unable to locate a gun. According to police, Zinn continued to boast about shooting Kirk, telling officers to “just shoot him.”
Elderly Utah Man Who Falsely Claimed To Be Charlie Kirk Shooter Recants, Later Charged With Child Porn
Upon arriving to the police department, Zinn reportedly recanted his confessions about shooting Kirk, asking for an attorney. During questioning, police said they didn’t believe he was the real shooter. He allegedly ultimately admitted to making the false claims to “draw attention from the real shooter.” Police then sent him to a local hospital for medical attention. While there, he said he “wanted to be a martyr for the person who was shot.”
Due to Zinn’s initial false confessions, police had enough probable cause to search his devices. Police said upon obtaining his phone, Zinn told them that he uses it to view child sex abuse material. He was then hit with four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
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