American Shoots Dead His 5 Children, Wife, Mother-In-Law, Kills Self After Spouse Sought Divorce

Two weeks after his wife filed for divorce, Michael Haight, a Utah father, killed his five children, his mother-in-law, his wife, and himself in a tragic suicide shooting, according to officials.

According to CBS News, Enoch Police Chief Jackson Ames stated at a press conference on Thursday that officers had been involved in inquiries concerning the 42-year-old man and his family "a couple of years before" the incident.

The small hamlet of Enoch, located in southern Utah halfway between Salt Lake City and Las Vegas, was stated to have been shaken by the murder.

One of the fastest-growing areas in the nation, the town is home to many large families that are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, also known as the Mormon church, like the majority of Utah.

According to Rob Dotson, the city manager of Enoch, who was mentioned by CBS News, the deceased was well-known in the community.

Dotson on Wednesday night said that "Many of us have served with them in church, in the community and gone to school with these individuals.

"This community at this time is hurting. They're feeling loss, they're feeling pain and they have a lot of questions."

According to the report, officials said that they believed that Haight had killed his wife, his mother-in-law and the couple's five children because each of the victims had gunshot wounds.

Court records show that 40-year-old Haight's wife, Tausha filed for divorce from her husband on December 21, 2022.

Her lawyer said on Thursday that Haight had been served with the divorce papers on December 27, 2022.

Mayor Geoffrey Chesnut said that Haight and other members of the family were seen the night before the killings at a church group for young women.

City officials said police were dispatched to the family's home Wednesday afternoon for a welfare check after someone reported that Tausha Height had missed an appointment earlier in the week.

The victims were found inside the house. The children ranged in age from 4 to 17 comprising three girls and two boys, authorities said. The other victim was Tausha Haight's 78-year-old mother, Gail Earl.

The five children attended schools in the Iron County School District, officials said in a letter sent to parents.