An individual in Utah shot his wife Tausha Haight, mother-in-law, five children, and five grandchildren to death before turning the gun upon himself. This left the family “vulnerable,” a relative claimed on Friday.
Sister-in-law Jennie Earl reported to The Associated Press that the wife, Tausha Haight, informed her extended family that her husband, Mike Haight, removed the firearms from the family’s residence this week, just two weeks after she had filed for divorce.
Unsure of Tausha Haight’s Feelings
Following a statement from the Earl family, grieving the tragedy and confirming that guns had been taken out, Jennie Earl made her remarks. She acknowledged that she was unsure of Tausha Haight’s feelings regarding the removal.
Still, she claimed that it had “left the family vulnerable,” noting that both Tausha and Gail Earl, her mother, had received training in personal safety and the safe handling of firearms.
Because all adults were greatly trained to safeguard human life, protective arms were purposefully taken out of the house before the incident, according to a statement from the Earl family. This devastation will continue in families, communities, and this country after protective arms are no longer available.
Light on The Events
Rob Dotson, the city manager of Enoch, claimed in an email that police “has never had any kind of a reason and has never had to remove firearms,” adding that local law enforcement was not engaged.
The information sheds more light on the events that occurred before a shooting in a residence in southern Utah on December 20, after Tausha Haight filed for divorce from her husband of 19 years on December 21.
In Enoch, a tiny hamlet of roughly 8,000 people located 245 miles (394 km) south of Salt Lake local, the victims were discovered on Wednesday during a welfare check by the police at home, according to local officials.
According to Jennie Earl, it is unclear whether having such firearms in residence could have prevented the massacre without knowing how the shootings occurred. She added that if Tausha Haight or Gail Earl had the chance to protect their families, they could have used the firearms.
She said, “They could have because they could do it.”
Matt Munson Decided Not to Open Up Much
When asked about the weapons in the house, Matt Munson, the lawyer for Michael Haight’s family, chose not to comment. However, his clients wrote a message to the Earls expressing their sorrow at the death of the family.
In a statement released on Friday, the family said that the guns had been taken out. They also decried the “unthinkable tragedy” and urged the public and media to avoid using the shooting to advance any “political agendas.”
The Earl family stated, “We would urge reporting about the value of all human life, the tremendous acts of God that can render a forgiving heart, how religion may heal and increase our capacity for love, and a return to fundamental ideals of peace within our nation.
On a Wrap
Enoch officials have stated that they are aware of the divorce file but are unsure if that was the reason for the deaths.
The 42-year-old guy and his family were also the subjects of an investigation, according to Enoch Police Chief Jackson Ames this week. This suggests there may have been issues within the family’s home in the past, though he did not provide any other details.
Also read: Disturbing Story of Robert Berchtold
