Utah man kills himself after shooting wife, 5 children, mother-in-law to death

A resident of Enoch shot and killed his wife, three kids, two sons, and his mother-in-law before taking his own life, according to the city's officials, who fear they may never find out what drove him to do so.

“We don’t know why this happened. No one will probably know what was going through the minds of these individuals,” Enoch City Manager Rob Dotson said.

In addition to sharing additional information about the tragic incident that has shocked residents of the 7,500-person rural community in southern Utah just outside of Cedar City, visibly shaken city leaders also expressed their gratitude for the ongoing support the town has received from across the country on Thursday.

According to a statement from the city, Tausha Haight, 40, her mother Gail Earl, 78, and her children — two sons, ages 7 and 4, and three daughters, ages 17, 12, and 7 — were all shot to death by their father and Haight's husband, 42-year-old Michael Orwin Haight, who then committed suicide.

The children's names have not yet been made public.

After police were requested to check on the welfare of worried family and friends, all eight bodies were discovered in a residence at 4923 N. Albert Drive on Wednesday afternoon.

Dotson claimed that Tausha Haight and one of her daughters had been spotted the previous evening at a religious event. On Wednesday morning, the mother was supposed to meet with an unnamed individual. He said the person she was meant to meet with called the police to request a welfare check when she failed to show up for that appointment. Dotson did not explain on Thursday why the individual believed a welfare check was necessary.

In Cedar City, where Michael Haight worked, a missing person report was initially made after Tausha Haight was not found, according to Dotson. When it was discovered that he resided in Enoch, according to Dotson, the missing persons report was forwarded to the neighborhood police department, and a search for the entire family quickly followed.

Officers entered the Enoch home around 4 p.m. on Wednesday and made the horrifying discovery.

City officials attempted to respond to inquiries from the media on Thursday while conveying facts about the crime and seemed obviously frightened.

“This is what our public feels. Discussing it, talking to each other about it, brings out these emotions and it’s natural,” Dotson said, his voice cracking at times.

The incident, according to Mayor Geoffrey Chestnut, really affected him personally because the Haights were his neighbors.

“The youngest children played in my yard with my sons,” he said, pausing to collect himself. “This is a tremendous blow to many, many families who have spent many, many nights with these individuals who are now gone.”

Governor Spencer Cox has called his office to express support and provide offers of assistance, according to Chestnut. President Joe Biden and the first lady tweeted their support on Thursday, according to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Dotson cited the fact that the horrifying finding was made by police officers who also knew the family and urged people to remember both groups of people.

Source