E— Robert Schneider (left) removes lint from Taylor Klahn’s shirt—seen through a mirror’s reflection—while the pair share a meal inside El Rancho Grande taqueria on Haight Street, Monday, June 1, 2026, in San Francisco, California.

If they had known each other 25 years ago, “We would’ve been trying to kill each other,” said Klahn, who met Schneider in September 2025 at Walden House and bonded over their shared experiences as former gang members in Southern California. “Now, we’re best friends,” Klahn reflected. “He’s been through the same shit I have, and now we’re building the same path.”