George Zinn, a 71-year-old Utah political activist, admitted to police that he falsely claimed responsibility for the shooting of Charlie Kirk in an attempt to help the real suspect escape.
Zinn was detained moments after Kirk, 31, was fatally shot in the neck at Utah Valley University last week.
Police initially suspected him of being the shooter, but later determined that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was the alleged gunman.
Zinn confessed to misleading authorities after repeatedly requesting access to his attorney, according to police documents.
He allegedly admitted he wanted to distract law enforcement to allow Robinson time to get away.
Authorities said Zinn was later taken to a hospital for treatment of a pre-existing medical condition.
While there, he reportedly made another admission, stating that he “wanted to be a martyr for the person who was shot.”
Following his hospital release, Zinn was booked into the Utah County Jail.
A judge ordered him held without bail on Monday.
He now faces a second-degree felony obstruction of justice charge, with police stating his actions diverted resources away from finding the actual shooter.
Court records show that Zinn has a history of arrests, most of them for trespassing.
As recently as August