Eight members of a family — including five children — were found dead Wednesday after an apparent murder-suicide at a home in Enoch City, Utah, authorities said.
Police performing a welfare check at the home found the eight people with gunshot wounds, city officials said Thursday. Relatives and friends of the family had asked for the welfare check after not hearing from them, city officials said.
Authorities identified the suspect as 42-year-old Michael Haight. The victims include his wife, Tausha Haight, 40, and Tausha’s mother, Gail Earl, 78. Authorities did not release the names of the minors found at the residence but identified them as a 17-year-old girl, a 12-year-old girl, a 7-year-old girl, a 7-year-old boy and a 4-year-old boy. Three of the minors were the Haights’ children, city officials said.
Advertisement
An investigation is ongoing, and authorities are still looking into a possible motive. Court records revealed that Tausha Haight filed for divorce on Dec. 21, city officials said.
Enoch City Mayor Geoffrey L. Chesnut said at a news conference Thursday that the incident has rattled the southern Utah community of about 8,000 people, including himself.
“The Haights were my neighbors,” Chesnut said with his voice cracking. “Their youngest children played in my yard with my son.”
He added, “This is a tremendous blow to many, many families who have spent many nights with these individuals who are now gone.”
Iron County School District in Cedar City, Utah, said in a statement Wednesday that all five children had been students at its schools and that the deaths were a “tragic loss” for the community.
“This loss is sure to raise many emotions, concerns, and questions for our entire school district, especially our students,” it said.
In a tweet, Utah Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson (R) called the shooting “a tragedy” and said she was praying for the people of Enoch City.
“Our hearts go out to all those affected by this senseless violence,” Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) tweeted. “Please keep the community of Enoch in your prayers.”
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZLuiwMiopWhqYGeAcHyQaGduZ5WjvKS0jK6rmqBdqLWwu9OipaBllJqupXnCnpuaql2YtrXFjg%3D%3D