Xander Luke, who was in Tyler Robinson's class at Pine View High School, recalled Robinson as a good student who was into internet memes, video games and politics.
They had several classes together, and while they were not close friends, they would sometimes talk about their frustrations with both political parties, Luke, 22, said in an interview.
"We shared the same sentiments about how both the Democratic and the Republican party were both not very much for the interests of the people anymore," he said. "They both just make promises and don't really do anything and just stay in power."
During most of their high school tenure, President Donald Trump was in his first term. Luke said Robinson didn't like Trump but also wasn't excited by Joe Biden, whose victory over Trump came during their senior year.
Luke added that Robinson didn't like "hateful people" and "people who would talk down about others." He was upset by figures who seemed like bullies — who voiced prejudices against people based on their race or sex, Luke said.
"We would have conversations every once in a while about our distaste about the way things had gone on in the world where people had become more hateful and our government hadn't been helping us as much," he said.
Robinson was quiet but passionate, Luke said.
"He was quite intelligent and would do well in school. I would say he was a good student," Luke said. "He would pay attention. He wouldn't talk a lot, but he wasn't super out of the way. … He had friends. He was very normal."