LAS VEGAS (KTNV) — St. George, Utah, where Tyler Robinson grew up and was arrested early Friday morning, is a fast-growing but still small town.
It's a place where locals say guns and hunting are part of the culture. So much so that in St. George, it's common for kids as young as eight to be enrolled in a hunter safety course that covers handling, storage and use of guns, as well as wilderness survival skills.
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I spoke by phone to a St. George resident whose child went to high school with Tyler Robinson. That parent told me Robinson was a normal kid, from a good family with a normal upbringing, mirroring what we found in Facebook posts that show him getting a learner's permit, graduating high school, and camping with family.
"Is any of that surprising to you?" I asked law enforcement veteran Adam Coughran.
"Unfortunately, not necessarily. So often we think about some of the folks that commit crimes as being this horrible person, or someone who had a bad upbringing. We're trying to point to a reason why this person may have done it, and sometimes it's just not that easy," Coughran said.
Coughran is an industry leader in safety and security training who we first spoke to after 1 October.
"We have some very basic parallels: someone with a rifle — or a high powered rifle from an elevated position," Coughran said.
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But unlike 1 October, where the gunman took his own life, authorities have the chance to learn what may have motivated Tyler Robinson to allegedly commit the crime he's accused of.
According to the Utah Lt. Governor’s office, Robinson registered in 2021 as an unaffiliated voter. He's considered inactive after having not voted in the last two election cycles.
But law enforcement records we obtained show Robinson's family told investigators he had grown more political in recent years.
A Facebook picture shows Robinson in a Halloween costume where he appears to be riding on the shoulders of President Trump.
The charging documents show a "Family member referenced a recent incident when Robinson came to dinner, and in conversation with another family member, Robinson mentioned Charlie Kirk was coming to Utah Valley University. They talked about why they didn't like (Kirk) and the viewpoints he had. The family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate."
Coughran says, "Whether it's politically driven or faith driven, or maybe sometimes a combination of both, there's something that has moved or spurred this person to the point to want to take violent action to try to stop that belief, to stop that speech, to stop that action."
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The suspected shooter did leave some clues behind.
"The inscriptions on the shell casings — or the rounds that were still on the rifle — it gives you a little bit of insight towards intent, or at least what the grievance was, what this person was ruminating on that drove them to this act of violence."
Ammunition with what police believe to be Robinson's rifle found discarded in a wooded area near the university contained writings, one of which said, "Hey fascists, catch."
The inscription “Bella Ciao” found on another round is a reference to a famous Italian protest song associated with resistance against fascism and oppression.
Coughran also explains why Robinson may have left behind the note that records show police learned about from his roommate.
"Maybe enough forethought that if he was killed by law enforcement, or something didn't go according maybe to plan, there's a way to take credit for this, or there was some explanation for what had happened."
Social media posts by family members indicate Robinson is highly intelligent and had a bright future ahead of him.
A public safety assessment report released as part of the court record shows he’s had no prior criminal convictions or violent offenses.