The man allegedly shot five children, his wife and mother-in-law in the US state of Utah. The background may have been an unacceptable separation.
A 42-year-old family man in the United States shot and killed his wife, five children and mother-in-law after his wife filed for divorce. Then he apparently killed himself, Utah officials said late on Friday. The children were three girls and two boys aged between four and 17 years.
Friends and relatives became concerned about the family and called the police, Enoch City community officials said. Officers then found eight bodies at the family home in the small rural community of Enoch City. Trace evidence indicated that the 42-year-old man shot his family first and then himself.
“Your children played in the garden with my children”
According to Enoch City Mayor Geoffrey Chestnut, the gunman’s alleged wife filed for divorce on Dec. 21. Chestnut described his community of 7,500 people as a close-knit community where everyone knew each other well. The 42-year-old man and his family were his neighbors, he told reporters. “The youngest children played in our garden with my children”.
Police launched an investigation, but Police Chief Jackson Ames made it clear that investigators were not looking for any other suspects. According to him, the family was already known to the police. “We have been involved in investigations into this family for some years now,” Ames said, but declined to elaborate.
Utah is known as the headquarters of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are also commonly referred to as Mormons. The conservative Christian denomination values family highly, but has historically encouraged polygamy.
(APA/dpa)