A Utah man shot and killed his five children, wife, and mother-in-law before turning the gun on himself to commit suicide, police said.

However, according to PEOPLE, his obituary emphasizing that he was a dedicated family man drew criticism from netizens. 

After a welfare check on the family on January 4, authorities found the remains of five children and three adults who were shot to death inside an Enoch City, Utah residence.

Investigators found that Michael Haight murdered his 40-year-old wife, Tausha Haight, her 78-year-old mother, Gail Earl, and their two sons and three daughters aged 4 to 17.

The 42-year-old Utah man committed suicide after murdering his family, said Enoch City Manager Rob Dotson during a press conference.

No mention of the murders can be seen in Michael's now-private obituary, which lists some of his achievements.

Moms Demand Action founder Shannon Watts tweeted screenshots of the obituary before it was made private due to backlash.

"Michael made it a point to spend quality time with each and every one of his children. Michael enjoyed making memories with the family," reads his obituary.

According to the obituary, Michael and Tausha got married in 2003 and were blessed with five children.

Each child's name is listed, along with the phrase, "each of these children were truly a cherished miracle to them."

Aside from serving at The Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-day Saints in Brazil, the obituary said Michael enjoyed making memories with the family by coaching his children's sports teams, attending school concerts, doing home improvement projects, and sledding, among others.

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Utah Man's Obituary Contrasts the Go Fund Me for the Victims of Murder-Suicide

It is unknown who wrote the obituary for the Utah man that appeared in The Spectrum newspaper.

It describes how the deceased murderer met his wife in the student ward of Southern Utah University. However, the January 11 obituary did not mention the deaths of his wife, mother-in-law, and their children.

On the other hand, a GoFundMe page created by Tausha Haight's siblings shows a photo of the deceased mother and her five children, Fox News reported. It removes Michael Haight and replaces him with a picture of Jesus Christ.

The page stated, "It is with the heaviest hearts that we share the passing of Gail Earl, Tausha Haight, and her five beautiful children," saying that their lives were cut short and everyone who knew them adored them so much.

The page also said there were no adequate words to explain their pain and that their family, friends, neighbors, classmates, and community will miss them greatly.

It also explained that the proceeds would be used for funeral expenses and a memorial fund in honor of the children.

Utah Murder-Suicide Victims' Family Supports Gun

Watts, also an activist against gun violence, provided a link to the family's pro-gun statement.

"And if that's not gross enough, the wife's family put out a statement supporting ... guns: 'This is the type of loss that will continue to occur in families, communities and this nation when protective arms are no longer accessible,'" Watts noted.

Police were still looking into what led to the murder-suicide, but Enoch Mayor Geoffrey Chesnut told Insider that they knew Tausha Haight had filed for divorce on December 21.

Tausha's lawyer said Michael had been served with the papers on December 27. However, the reasons for the divorce were unknown, partly because Utah law keeps details of divorce proceedings sealed from the public, the Associated Press reported.

Tausha's sister-in-law Jennie Earl told the AP that Michael Haight had taken all weapons from home before the shooting.

She claimed that Tausha, her mother, and her children were more "vulnerable" because they lacked firearms.

Tausha's obituary described her as a loving mom. It also has sections that describe her five children.

Utah police said they were familiar with the family after they had been involved in some investigations with the family a couple of years ago but declined to elaborate.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Bert Hoover

WATCH: Who Were the Haights? Police Previously Visited Family at Enoch Home - From FOX 13 News Utah