ENOCH, Utah — Hours after eight bodies were found in an Enoch City home, all from the same family, friends say they're in disbelief that such a tragedy happened in their tight-knit community.
WATCH: Who were the Haights? Police identify victims found in Enoch home
Officials reported that three adults and five minors were found inside the home in the 4900 North block of Albert Drive with gunshot wounds. Police were called to the house in reference to a welfare check and found the bodies inside.
The family was later identified as the Haights. The adults found dead were identified as Michael Haight, Tausha Haight and her mother, Gail Earl. Police believe Michael Haight took his own life after killing the other seven individuals in the home.
The names of the five children who were killed were not made available, however, police said they were a 17-year-old girl, 12-year-old girl, 7-year-old boy, 7-year-old girl and a 4-year-old boy.
Tina Brown said she's been friends with the family for about 20 years. Their friendship started when they all moved into the same neighborhood and she said they've experienced many big life moments together.
"We shared a lot over the years," she said. "We really had that I almost want to call it an unbreakable bond."
"You won't meet a more kind and generous [family,]" Brown explained in part. "Nice to everybody, very happy and cheerful."
Geoffrey Chesnut, who serves as the mayor of Enoch, said this tragedy hit him and his family especially close to home.
"It's not too often something like this hits very close to home," Chestnut said tearfully at a press conference. "In fact, the Haights were my neighbors, the youngest children played in my yard with my sons."
Chestnut echoed that the deaths will have a large impact on the entire community of Enoch.
"This is a tremendous blow to many many families who have spent many many nights with these individuals who are now gone," he said.
"They were always involved in the community," Brown explained, "Played sports, [and] were involved in multiple ways."
Brown said the deaths have left her in a state of complete shock.
"To have to sit your kids down and talk about something so tragic and have them look at you," Brown said. "Even my 21-year-old looked at us and he said 'why? why does stuff like this happen?'"
At a press conference Thursday, city officials expressed their sadness over the tragedy with tears in their eyes and shaking voices. City manager Rob Dotson said they're expected to be tough, but the emotion is natural and something many are feeling.
"The police officers that investigated walked through the home had to discover the information and had to record the information. They're human beings, they know this family," he explained. This is emotion that you see."
Dotson asked for prayers as the community grieves and as officials continue with the investigation.
"If you're a praying person, to pray for law enforcement, it impacts them," Dotson said. "Pray for the family. If you're not a religious person, care for your family too. Stand with your family, support them, love them, just like we love each other and we love this family."
Brown recalled the moment when she knew something was very wrong at the house.
"My husband...is actually their UPS guy called me and said, 'something is really wrong,'" she explained. "So I immediately jumped in my vehicle and went out and that's when neighbors started saying what they had heard had happened."
Since hearing the news, Brown and others have been left with dozens of questions, but Brown said the thing at the front of her mind is the 'why' behind what happened.
"Immediately it was a feeling of 'oh no, could we have done something,'" Brown said. "Your mind starts reeling and you think what were the last moments like what have the last few months been like, is there something more that everybody doesn't know," she said.
Dotson said we may never truly understand what happened.
"We don't know why this happened," he said. "No one will probably know what was going through the minds of these individuals. However we do know that they were our friends, they were our neighbors and that we loved them."
He also urged the public to think about how to move forward after this tragedy and continue to lend support to those who may be struggling.
"There will be questions that everybody asks themselves, what if I had done this, what if I had done that," Dotson said. "Those aren't very good questions to ask. The question is what do we do now? What do we do going forward."
As questions are answered and an investigation continues in Enoch, Brown explained this tragedy will have a ripple effect in the community as they mourn together.
"It's almost like we grew up so sheltered in these small southern Utah communities that we don't see a lot of this," she explained. "Sure our kids hear about it on the news and on Youtube and podcasts and you know Dateline, That's what my oldest said, he was like 'mom, stuff like this happens on Dateline, but it doesn't happen here.'"
