HARTFORD, Conn. (WFSB) - Friends and family of Charlie Kirk's accused killer, Tyler Robinson, say Robinson spent years scrolling the dark corners of the internet, claiming it impacted his political views, and that he was radicalized online.
According to the Associated Press, Robinson was a high school honor roll student, scoring in the 99th percentile on standardized tests. He was even accepted to college on an academic scholarship.
So how did he end up spending large amounts of time on the dark web?
For years, parents have had the challenge of knowing what their kids are seeing online and how to limit it.
Andrew Studenski has a young son. Like most parents, he has concerns about children/teens and the internet.
"There needs to be a lot more regulation. The internet is not a regulated place by any means. I'd want to make sure he knows how to think critically and question the sort of things he reads on there," Studenski said.
The FBI and governor of Utah say the dark web may have led Robinson to being radicalized, believing references engraved on the ammunition used to kill Charlie Kirk included anti-fascist and meme-culture language.
Utah's governor says Robinson may have picked those phrases up on the deep, dark web.
Now, Connecticut parents are making sure they monitor what their kids are seeing online.
Greg Jones has three children.
"That's why it has to be monitored. That's why you need monitored time and to see what your kid is interested in," Jones said. "You want to get some type of knowledge of what your kid is watching. I think that's the best for everybody, for anybody."
Melissa Whitson is a psychology professor at the University of New Haven.
She says communicating with your kids about what they're seeing on the internet is the big first step.
"Educate and talk to kids about it. No matter how many safeguards you put in place, they're still going to see stuff. The internet is a scary, dark road, and you never know what's going to jump out at you," said Whitson. "You have to have those difficult conversations. Ask what they're seeing and hearing first, and ask if they have any questions."
There are other resources for parents.
Tomorrow night, the North Haven Police Department is discussing online safety issues impacting young adults. Detectives will be speaking on recent criminal trends and ways to protect teens.
That is taking place tomorrow at 6 p.m. at the North Haven Library.