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 asked the BBC not to use her name due to the heated political and online conversation around Kirk's murder.
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, and his father, Matthew Robinson, a hard worker. Both occasionally attended a nearby Mormon church, she said.
That just even goes to show you can be an amazing parent, and your kids still just choose what they choose, said the neighbour.
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, and President Donald Trump, Vice-President JD Vance, and leaders of both major US political parties condemned the assassination.
Officials initially held two suspects but later let them go. On Friday, Utah Governor Spencer Cox announced Mr Robinson was in custody. His father had persuaded him to surrender, officials said.
The night before, police vehicles descended on a townhouse complex in St George, Utah where local media reports Mr Robinson had an apartment. Sherri Steele, who lives across the street from the residence, came back from an evening walk to see a large police presence in her complex.
Utah County Attorney Jeff Gray plans to file formal charges against Mr Robinson on Tuesday, CBS News reported, and the accused will have his first court appearance that day. The nation—including the current occupants of the White House in Washington, DC—will be watching.
Washington, Utah will too.
