George Zinn was initially detained and then hospitalized with a medical condition, the authorities have said
A man present at the event where Charlie Kirk was killed has admitted to falsely claiming he was the shooter in order to hinder law enforcement and allow the real shooter to escape, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office has said. George Zinn is facing obstruction of justice charges.
The prominent US conservative activist was fatally shot while speaking to students at Utah Valley University on September 10.
The suspected assassin, Tyler Robinson, was apprehended on Friday after his father reportedly recognized him in surveillance footage and persuaded him to surrender.
In a statement released on Tuesday, the Utah County Sheriff’s Office said that Zinn began “yelling that he had shot Charlie Kirk” shortly after the attack. Police officers detained the man, who then had to be hospitalized over a “medical issue.” While at the hospital, Zinn told the personnel that he had falsely claimed responsibility for the murder to “hinder Law Enforcement’s response,” according to the sheriff’s office.
The man is said to have later confirmed to police that he had sought to “allow the actual suspect to flee.”
“At this time, there is no information that George Zinn actually colluded with the shooter,” the statement emphasized.
On Tuesday, Robinson was charged with aggravated murder. Utah Governor Spencer Cox said that the state would seek the death penalty for the 22-year-old.
Around the same time, Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray told reporters that, according to the suspect’s mother, Robinson had become increasingly political over the past year and had shifted toward more progressive views, particularly in support of gay and transgender rights. Gray also said Robinson has been in a romantic relationship with his roommate, who is undergoing gender transition.
Kirk, 31, rose to nationwide prominence as a co-founder of the conservative activist group, Turning Point USA, and was a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump.
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