Utah Dad Shoots Wife, 5 Kids Dead 2 Weeks After She Filed For Divorce

A Utah man seemingly killed his family this week before dying by suicide, officials said Thursday.

Evidence suggested that Michael Haight fatally shot his wife, their five children and his mother-in-law inside the family's home in Enoch City, The New York Times reported, citing officials.

The 42-year-old then allegedly shot and killed himself.

Authorities did not disclose what type of firearm Haight used in the killings.

Police discovered all eight bodies Wednesday after Haight's wife, Tausha Haight, failed to show up for an appointment with someone who ended up contacting police, officials said.

The bodies were removed from the home, and autopsies will be performed in the coming days, Enoch City Manager Rob Dotson said, according to a report by Fox 13.

The couple's five children were not named, and they were only identified as a 4-year-old boy, a 7-year-old boy, a 7-year-old girl, a 12-year-old girl and a 17-year-old girl.

Tausha, 40, reportedly filed for divorce from Michael on Dec. 21, court records showed.

It was not immediately known why she attempted to end their marriage.

Tausha's 78-year-old mother, Gail Earl, had been "providing support through the difficulties that they were encountering," Enoch City Mayor Geoffrey Chestnut said at a news conference.

Police had already been involved in some investigations with the family a couple of years ago, according to city police chief Jackson Ames.

"We were familiar with the family, yes," said Ames, who declined to elaborate but noted that authorities had not been called to the family's home recently.

Michael was listed as an Allstate Insurance agent based out of Cedar City, but he quit his job days before the killings, according to a family friend.

President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden joined residents of Enoch City in mourning.

"Too many Americans have lost loved ones or had their lives forever changed due to gun violence, and gun violence remains the leading cause of death for children in America," a White House statement released Thursday read.

There were about 45,222 firearm-related deaths in the U.S. in 2020, data provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention showed.

The figure reportedly represented a 43% increase from 2010.

"President Biden has taken historic executive action to reduce gun violence, including actions to promote safe storage of firearms and prevent suicide," the White House statement read.

"The President believes there is more to be done to keep our homes, schools and communities safe, including enacting assault weapons and high-capacity magazine ban to get weapons of war off our streets, requiring safe storage of firearms and closing the dating violence restraining order loophole in our gun background check system," it added.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.