Washington, Utah, located just southwest of Zion National Park, is surrounded by cinematic mesas and has long been a hub for exploring the natural wonders of the American west.
Yet the last 48 hours have left residents wondering how the portal to the most beautiful parts of the country may have produced one of its ugliest acts of political violence in years.
Public records and police statements indicate that Tyler Robinson, the man authorities accused of killing the conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University this week, resided in the area. On Saturday, authorities released an affidavit charging him with aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm, and obstruction of justice.
Local and federal law enforcement descended on typically quiet blocks in Washington and nearby St George, banging on doors and closing off streets as they carried out a high stakes investigation.
Outside the home tied to Mr. Robinson and his parents in Washington, neighbours expressed shock that a fellow resident could have committed such an attack.
It shakes up a community because you don't expect it, said Addi Jacobson, 20, who recently moved into her grandmother's house in the neighbourhood.
Ms Jacobson said she did not personally know the Robinson family, but her grandmother did.
She just was saying that she thinks that, from what she's seen and what she knows, they're a great family, just regular citizens, Ms Jacobson said. She used the words, 'very patriotic people.'
We knew their family. Our whole neighbourhood is so close, said another neighbour who lived around the corner. She recalled Tyler Robinson was a pretty quiet kid, though his younger brothers were more involved in community and sports. She called his mother, Amber Robinson, an amazing parent.
On September 10, Kirk was shot in front of hundreds of students and observers, and was later pronounced dead at the hospital. Videos of the carnage spread across social media, causing outrage and disbelief.
This incident has shaken the community to its core, leading residents to question the safety of their quiet town amidst the intense political climate.
This whole time, I never knew that I was living next to somebody capable of something like this, said Jacobson, as she played in the park with her fiancé and baby.
