Neighbors Speak Out After Tyler Robinson Accused of Killing Charlie Kirk
The quiet Pine View Estates community in Washington, Utah, is reeling after 22-year-old Tyler Robinson, a local resident, was accused of assassinating conservative activist Charlie Kirk.
On Friday night, FBI agents swarmed Robinson’s childhood home, loading evidence into an armored vehicle as local police blocked off the street, preventing even residents from approaching. Neighbors whispered in disbelief as news crews captured the chaotic scene.
For many, Tyler Robinson was not a stranger, but a local youth they had grown up alongside—now at the center of one of the most high-profile political murders in recent years.
“I’m ashamed to be living next to somebody who would do something so cruel,” said neighbor Shawn Dockstader, 52. “I wish it wasn’t here.” He noted that he had little interaction with Robinson’s family.
Shock Among Those Who Knew Him
Others who knew Robinson as a child expressed equal disbelief. Siblings Kyelan and Kamber Funk, who attended the same schools, described him as polite and reserved.
“He kept to himself,” Kyelan said. “He wasn’t a super weird kid that you would expect to do anything like this.”
Kamber, now a senior at Pine View High School, added, “We also live just right down the street, so hearing that this happened practically in our backyard is surreal. I haven’t processed it yet.”
Former Boy Scout acquaintances echoed the sentiment, saying they would have “never expected this” from someone they remembered as “a nice, quiet kid.”
Processing the Unthinkable
Once considered a promising young man, Robinson now faces charges including aggravated murder, felony discharge of a firearm resulting in serious bodily injury, and obstruction of justice. Prosecutors allege he shot Kirk in the neck from nearly 200 yards away during a Turning Point USA debate at Utah Valley University on September 10.
For neighbors, the news has been overwhelming. “That’s just a whole lot to unpack,” said Kyelan. “I really haven’t wrapped my head around it yet.”
A Silver Lining in Tragedy
Despite the shock, the community has grown closer in response.
“We have a Facebook group, and everyone’s supporting each other and offering help if anyone needs it,” Kamber said. “Everyone’s always been super nice to each other. I feel like this will tie us together even more.”
What was once a peaceful neighborhood is now linked to a crime that made national headlines. Still, residents insist they will not let Robinson’s alleged actions define their community.
