The 71-year-old Utah man detained immediately after the assassination of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk is a well-known local gadfly who has “no current ties to the shooting,” according to the Utah Department of Public Safety.
Video of George Hodgson Zinn surrounded by police went viral on social media, with active speculation that the septuagenarian was the gunman who shot Kirk, but that story wilted fast once police identified and interviewed Zinn.
‘Who needs guns when robbery is occurring with a sweet smile on the faces of the employees?’
“We initially took in George Zinn as a suspect. He was later released and charged with obstruction by UVU police,” the UDPS said in a statement. “A second suspect, Zachariah Qureshi, was taken into custody and released after interrogation with law enforcement. There are no current ties to the shooting with either of these individuals.”
Zinn was filmed being dragged away by police as members of the crowd screamed, “How dare you!” and called him a “f**king monster.” He looked at protesters screaming at him and shouted back, “Shoot me! Shoot me!”
Zinn’s pants fell around his ankles, and police then had to carry him away from the scene. A police officer can be heard on the video saying, “He said he shot him, but I don’t know.”
RELATED: Charlie Kirk assassination timeline: What we know so far
Zinn is well known to police and many in the Salt Lake City area for being an often-unwanted presence at entertainment and political events. Online records indicate that he has nearly two dozen arrests dating back at least 25 years for criminal trespass, obstruction, disturbing the peace, and other charges.
His most serious offense came in 2013, when he was charged with sending an email bomb threat to the Salt Lake City Marathon.
Zinn pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge for making a bomb threat. He was originally charged with a second-degree felony. He was sentenced to probation but violated probation terms. As a result he spent some time in jail, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.
The Salt Lake Tribune described Zinn as an “occasionally ubiquitous activist,” noting that he is a regular figure at political rallies, ribbon-cutting ceremonies, and even the Sundance Film Festival.
A Florida newspaper spotted him at the 2022 Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, peddling what the paper considered “baseless” 2020 presidential election-fraud claims.
Zinn is a regular contributor to newspaper opinion pages. In August 2000, he complained to the Daily Utah Chronicle about price-gouging on food items sold on campus. “Who needs guns when robbery is occurring with a sweet smile on the faces of the employees as they empty our wallets for a few cheap items and rotten service?” he wrote.
In July 2019, Zinn joined protesters half his age at the Utah Inland Port Authority. The protesters were forced from the building, leading to “violent confrontations that included punches being thrown during clashes with police,” a newspaper report stated.
Zinn joined a crowd of 1,000 at the University of Utah in January 2009 to welcome newly inaugurated President Barack Obama.
“Why not? He’s our new president, and I’m glad he’s coming in with that level of support,” the Republican Zinn told the Daily Herald.
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