A 42-year-old American man from Utah shot and killed his five children, wife and mother-in-law before committing suicide, local authorities said Thursday, AFP reports. The man’s wife asked him for a divorce two weeks ago, The Guardian reports.

The first elements of the investigation “indicate that the suspect committed suicide after killing seven more people in his home,” explained a press release from Enoch City, Utah, where the tragedy occurred.

Police discovered the bodies Wednesday afternoon after receiving a call to check on the family, according to the statement. When police arrived at the scene, they found eight bodies, all with “gunshot wounds.”

Five children were aged from 4 to 17 years. The suspect, Michael Haight, killed his 40-year-old wife and 78-year-old mother-in-law before turning the gun on himself.

Investigators are aware of the divorce filing but don’t know if that was the motivation for the killings, Mayor Jeffrey Chesnutt said.

The investigation will continue with the questioning of the witnesses of the drama and the autopsy of the bodies, the same source adds.

The man was also noticed by the police

Police also said at a press conference Thursday that officers had been investigating the 42-year-old man and his family “for several years,” suggesting possible previous problems within the family.

Enoch City is a small town of 7,000 residents located in southwestern Utah, four hours from the state capital of Salt Lake City.

President Joe Biden and his wife Jill “join the people of Enoch City in mourning,” the White House said.

“Too many Americans have lost loved ones or seen their lives turned upside down by gun violence,” spokeswoman Karin Jean-Pierre said in a statement.

(sources Agerpres, news.ro)