Washington, Utah, located just south-west of Zion National Park, is surrounded by cinematic, flat-topped mountains 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.
Tyler Robinson, the man authorities accused of killing the conservative activist Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University this week, resided in the area, according to police. He is now in custody after his father apparently persuaded him to surrender.
Local and federal law enforcement officers 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 Robinson family home 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.
This whole time, I never knew that I was living next to somebody capable of something like this, she added. It just makes you kind of question 'how much closer am I to somebody else that could be this way?'
On 10 September, Charlie Kirk was shot in front of hundreds of students and observers, and later pronounced dead at the hospital. Videos of the incident circulated widely, capturing the nation's attention.
The event has resonated not just in Washington but across the political landscape, with leaders from both major parties condemning the violence. The community reflects on its values and the dissonance brought on by such violence close to home.
