Old man who falsely claimed he shot Charlie Kirk wanted to 'draw attention from the real shooter'

OREM, UTAH: Court records show that a Utah man who falsely claimed he was the gunman who killed Charlie Kirk told investigators he was only trying to "draw attention from the real shooter."

George Zinn, 71, a notorious political gadfly who can’t seem to stay away from controversy, was cuffed and hauled out of Utah Valley University on Wednesday, September 10, after Kirk was fatally shot mid-event. But instead of being the killer, cops say Zinn was just looking for a spotlight, as per Fox 13.

“Almost every political event you can think of, there was always George somewhere in the background, listening,” Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill told the Salt Lake Tribune.

George Zinn's bizarre words after Charlie Kirk's shooting

Moments after the shooting, George Zinn ran straight to the cops and shouted, “I shot him, now shoot me,” according to authorities. Officers quickly realized the old agitator was unarmed, but still slapped him in cuffs.

Zinn later admitted during a police interview that he didn’t pull the trigger. Instead, he bizarrely told officers he was trying “to draw attention from the real shooter,” court documents reveal.

Even after being transported to a local hospital for a medical issue, Zinn continued with the strange talk. He allegedly said he “wanted to be a martyr for the person who was shot.”

Authorities weren’t amused. Police said his antics delayed the investigation at a critical moment and wasted resources. He now faces an obstruction of justice charge, which is a second-degree felony.

Video from the chaotic scene shows Zinn being dragged away by officers with his pants around his ankles as horrified college students watched him scream, “Shoot me.”

“He said he shot him, but I don’t know,” one officer told bystanders, who were convinced Zinn was the real killer. The crowd hurled curses as the scene unfolded, and Zinn’s image quickly went viral online. Many in the immediate aftermath believed the elderly man with the cleft chin had pulled the trigger.

George Zinn’s troubled past

George Zinn’s reputation as a perennial troublemaker goes way back. Known as a political “gadfly,” he’s racked up trespassing arrests at film festivals, rallies, and protests for years.

“He’s a person who can be odd, and has those kinds of sometimes odd behavior challenges,” DA Gill said, noting he’s prosecuted him several times. “But by and large, he’s more of a gadfly than anything else.”

But he’s crossed the line before. In 2013, Zinn threatened to bomb the Salt Lake City Marathon and ended up serving a year behind bars.

There’s no indication Zinn had any connection to Tyler Robinson, the 22-year-old college dropout arrested after his own father turned him in.

The real shooter

Charlie Kirk, 31, was killed on Wednesday while speaking to about 3,000 people during his “American Comeback Tour” at Utah Valley University. During a Q&A session, a single shot reportedly fired from the roof of the Losee Center struck him in the neck.

Video captured Kirk collapsing onstage as chaos erupted. He was rushed to Timpanogos Regional Hospital but didn’t survive.

The shooting triggered a 33-hour manhunt. Investigators found a high-powered bolt-action rifle wrapped in a towel in nearby woods, along with a screwdriver left on the rooftop. DNA evidence on both items matched Robinson.

On Thursday, Robinson was arrested after a family member recognized him in FBI photos. He was booked into Utah County Jail on suspicion of aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, and obstruction of justice.

Robinson is set to make his first court appearance tomorrow.