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A 71-year-old man, arrested shortly after the shooting of Charlie Kirk and later freed, tried to assist the suspected gunman flee by faking a confession, law enforcement report.

Utah County Sheriff Michael Smith revealed that George Zinn admitted to police that he had "shouted that he was the shooter to enable the actual suspect escape".

The main individual in the shooting is the young suspect Tyler Robinson, who appeared to acknowledge Mr Zinn's first apprehension after the shooting, informing a companion via message that the police "arrested some eccentric elderly man."

Mr Zinn is being held on obstruction of justice charges. In a separate matter, he has also been charged with holding illicit imagery.

Details on the Incident

George Zinn was part of a pair that police had detained for questioning after media personality Charlie Kirk was fatally shot at Utah Valley University on the tenth of September.

Police eventually found that the two suspects were not involved in the shooting.

Mr Zinn "intentionally yelled he was the shooter and by doing so, obstructed Law Enforcement from pursuing the actual shooter", the sheriff announced in a statement.

Legal filings provided by campus police state that Mr Zinn began yelling: "I shot him - now shoot me."

When questioned by police where the weapon used in the shooting was situated, he is said to have replied: "I am not going to tell you", as stated in the documents.

The sheriff said that there was currently no evidence Mr Zinn colluded with the gunman.

Other Allegations

Sheriff Smith added that Mr Zinn is facing custody for the abuse involving a child, and that agents found numerous photographs of children "in various stages of undress and sexual posing."

On Monday, a court ruled that Mr Zinn be held refused bond, calling him a "significant risk" to the community.

It was unconfirmed from court records if he retained counsel.

Past Behavior of the Individual

Mr Zinn is well known among planners of forums in the local area. "He showed up frequently at public forums with the aim of interrupting the event or question a high-profile speaker", accounts indicate.

He is known for a long history of petty violations, including an arrest in 2013 for sending a threatening email to the organizers of the Salt Lake City Marathon just days after the Boston Marathon bombing.

Case Updates

The prime suspect, the prime suspect in the killing was charged on multiple charges including aggravated murder, on Tuesday.

Charlie Kirk was one of the highest profile conservative activists and public voices in the US.

Famous for his strong statements on gender, cultural topics, and Second Amendment advocacy, Kirk was a divisive personality and a key associate of Donald Trump.

He was shot while speaking publicly at Utah Valley University, in what law enforcement called a premeditated assault. Former President Trump referred to Mr Kirk "a dedicated conservative" and said his killing marked a "dark moment for America".