When Washington County makes headlines, it is typically because it is home to Zion National Park, or due to its explosive growth, lack of water and wealth of conservative politics.

But that changed since 22-year-old resident Tyler James Robinson’s arrest in Washington City — the county’s second-largest municipality — on Thursday night in connection with the shooting death of conservative political commentator Charlie Kirk.

That development has shone an uncomfortable spotlight on Utah’s fifth-most populous county.

“This is not the kind of news that we want to be known for,” said Michele Randall, mayor of St. George, the county’s largest city. “We are a much better community than this. My heart goes out to the Kirk family and to the suspect’s family, who turned their son in. What a trag

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