Neighbors of Charlie Kirk’s suspected killer, Tyler Robinson, speak out
WASHINGTON, Utah – Washington County neighbors who knew Tyler Robinson, the suspected assassin of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, told Fox News Digital that he was a "sweet," smart, nice kid.
Ray Hardy, a resident of the 22-year-old suspect's hometown who said his kids went to high school with Robinson, described him as "normal."
"This is not who we are," Hardy said. "This is not our society. It's not our community. It is not who we grew up with. I don't think this is the kid who grew up with us either. Something changed and affected him, almost infected him."
Robinson's charging documents, which are expected Tuesday, could shed more light on the suspect's motive. Attorney General Derek Brown told Fox News Digital on Friday that Robinson could face a combination of state and federal charges.
Gov. Spencer Cox, R-Utah, confirmed on Sunday that conservative influencer Charlie Kirk's suspected assassin, Tyler Robinson, has a "leftist ideology," despite his conservative upbringing.
CHARLIE KIRK'S ALLEGED SHOOTER NOT COOPERATING WITH AUTHORITIES, UTAH GOV. COX SAYS
Robinson has lived in Washington County, Utah, for most of his life, a deep red county where 75% of residents voted to send President Donald Trump back to the White House last year.
Robinson's parents are registered Republicans, but Utah Voter Registration records reveal that Robinson is unaffiliated with a political party and that he did not vote in the past two general elections.
A neighbor who lives across the street from the Robinson family said he was always polite and neighborly in their brief interactions.
Another Washington County local told Fox News Digital that her brother was friends with him in high school, and he would occasionally come over to her family's house. She said her brother lost touch with him over the past few years as he started working full-time and Robinson spent more time online.
As the community tries to make sense of Robinson's attack, the Utah governor said Robinson's digital footprint could have the answers.
"It seemed to happen kind of after that, after he had moved back to the southern part of Utah," Cox said of Robinson's shifting ideology. "Clearly, there was a lot of gaming going on. Friends have confirmed that there was kind of that deep, dark internet, the Reddit culture and these other dark places of the internet where this person was going deep. And you saw that on the casings."
Robinson was a third-year student in the electrical apprenticeship program at Dixie Technical College in St. George, Utah Board of Higher Education confirmed in a statement. He attended Utah State University for less than one semester in 2021, according to Cox, despite receiving a four-year merit scholarship.
Cox told reporters on Friday that investigators interviewed a family member who said Robinson "had become more political in recent years."
"The family member referenced a recent incident in which Robinson came to dinner prior to Sept. 10, and in that conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to UVU. They talked about why they didn't like him and the viewpoints that he had. The family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate," Cox said.
Cox said authorities had discovered ammunition inscribed with anti-fascist messages and video game memes. The governor called social media a "cancer" on Friday while announcing Robinson had been arrested.
"I believe that social media has played a direct role in every single assassination and assassination attempt that we have seen over the last five, six years. There is no question in my mind that cancer probably isn't a strong enough word. What we have done, especially to our kids, it took us a decade to realize how evil these algorithms are," he said on Sunday.
The New York Times reported on Saturday that Robinson messaged in a Discord chat in the hours following Kirk's assassination, joking that his "doppelgänger" was trying to "get me in trouble."
"He does come from a conservative family, but his ideology was very different than his family," Cox said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday, confirming Fox News Digital reporting that Cox's roommate in St. George is a "boyfriend who is transitioning from male to female."
Cox said Robinson's roommate has been cooperating with authorities and had no prior knowledge of the attack. One of Robinson's relatives told Fox News Digital that his transgender roommate "hates conservatives and Christians."
The Utah governor told ABC's "This Week" on Sunday that Robinson is not cooperating and has not confessed to assassinating Kirk.
Robinson's neighbors told Fox News Digital that they never would have expected someone from Washington County to kill Kirk.
"Not in a million years," Diana, a Washington County local, said during a vigil on Sunday night. "It's like our governor said, he was hoping it was from someone from a different country or some terrorist or something, and I just feel like a 22-year-old kid doesn't really know. He's just been brainwashed. He's listened to lies from different people, and it's easy to get mixed up."
Diana, who organized prayer boxes for the Robinson and Kirk families during Sunday's vigil, said it has been a huge shock and loss for the community but that her neighbors have come together to show their support for the Robinson and Kirk families.
"This family is an amazing family," one neighbor said when Fox News Digital asked why she was leaving flowers on the front steps of Robinson’s family home on Saturday.
The neighbor, who requested to remain anonymous, said she has known the family for almost a decade and visited the home a few months ago, adding that she only knew Tyler as a child.
"It’s unfortunate what happened, but the family needs our support," the neighbor said.
Melissa Tate, a neighbor who spoke to Fox News on Friday, said she was thankful the family made the "unbelievable decision" to help the authorities arrest their son.
"I'm very grateful that they did that, and I have utmost sympathy for his family. I can't even imagine what they're going through right now," Tate said.
Holly Wilkinson, a resident of St. George, who wore a "Freedom" shirt to Sunday's vigil in Washington's Veterans Park, said the news was "shocking" but she's witnessed her community come together, even for the Robinson family.
"To hear that the perpetrator of such terrible political violence was raised in our beautiful community is profoundly shocking. Washington County, like Charlie Kirk himself, stands for the values of faith, freedom, the pursuit of happiness, and justice," Washington County said in a statement on Facebook.
There are American flags for sale just blocks from Robinson's technical school. Washington County is less than a one-hour drive to Zion National Park, and the city of St. George is filled with mom-and-pop shops, churches and neighborhood parks.
Utah Valley University, where Kirk was shot on Wednesday, is about a four-hour drive from Washington County.
Fox News Digital's Adam Sabes and Brooke Singman contributed to this report.