OREM — Police say that a Salt Lake City man — who was no stranger to the state’s political scene — claimed responsibility moments after the shooting death of conservative activist Charlie Kirk, in an attempt to “draw attention from the real shooter.”
The arrest also sparked a child pornography investigation.
George Hodgson Zinn, 71, was booked into Utah County Jail for investigation of obstruction of justice and sexual exploitation of a minor on Monday, following a few days at a hospital. Newly released police documents also detail more of what happened that led to his arrest at Utah Valley University, which sparked a firestorm on social media.
After the lone shot was fired shortly after 12:20 p.m. last Wednesday, and as Kirk’s security team rushed him to a hospital, officers at the scene reported that they saw an older man lying on the ground surrounded by people who appeared to be tending to him.
The man, later identified as Zinn, told the officer, “I shot him, now shoot me” twice, according to a jail report compiled by UVU police. The officer reported that he could not see a weapon, but he placed Zinn in handcuffs while others at the scene cleared the area.
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