Other relatives notified the police, after several days without hearing from them.
A Utah man killed seven members of his family, including five children, and then killed himself two weeks after his wife filed for divorce, according to authorities and court documents.
Enoch city authorities said Michael Haight, 42, killed his wife, mother-in-law and the couple’s five children. Each of the victims appeared to have gunshot wounds, authorities said.
Court records show the wife filed for divorce on December 21.
Police sent officers to check on the family Wednesday after relatives and friends contacted officers because they were concerned and had not heard from them. Officers found the victims inside the home.
The children ranged in age from 4 to 17 and included three girls and two boys, authorities said.
The other victims are Tausha Haight, 40, and her mother, Gail Earl, 78.
Iron County School District officials explained in a letter to parents that the five children attended schools in the area.
Enoch Councilor Rob Dotson said the news of the discovery of the bodies shocked the city and that the dead were known in the community.
Enoch is a small town of about 8,000 people located 394 kilometers south of Salt Lake City and about the same distance from Las Vegas.
Police visits are common after long periods of time without seeing a person, Dotson said.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox offered his condolences in a tweet Wednesday night.
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