Suspect found dead after fatal Milwaukee-area shooting

October 21, 2012 (BROOKFIELD, Wis.) (WLS) -- Police say that a gunman killed three women and wounded four others before turning the gun on himself at a spa outside Milwaukee.

The gunman is identified as 45-year-old Radcliffe Franklin Haughton.

Police say it was a very confusing scene Sunday morning, but there is nothing confusing about the past history of the suspect and his estranged wife he went there to shoot and kill.

Not only did prosecutors know about him, they were both in the court system, the police knew about both of them having problems, their friends and co-workers knew and Sunday morning, the only thing unusual was when the shooter showed up by taxi.

"We received calls of shots fired at the Azana Day Spa in the city of Brookfield," said Brookfield Police Chief Dan Tushaus.

At an hour many Brookfield residents were at church or just celebrating a beautiful Sunday, evil with a gun walked in the door of the Azana Salon.

Forty-five-year old Radcliffe Haughton had come to kill his estranged wife Zina, according to detectives.

He ended up shooting seven people, all women, wounding four and killing three, his wife believed to be among the dead.

Haughton then started a small fire in the salon as a dozen surviving patrons and employees ran for their lives.

"We saw some woman crawl out of the front door and roll down the hill, and the cops had scooped up and taken her right over to the ambulance," said a witness named Jenny.

"I saw two more females getting pulled out and they weren't able to walk, they were put in stretchers," said witness Joe Brent.

At a Sunday night briefing, Brookfield authorities admitted that they had contact earlier this month with both the gunman and his estranged wife, the target of Sunday attack.

On October 4th, police say Haughton came to the salon parking lot and slashed his wife's car tires. She filed a complaint and Brookfield police interviewed her.

"We believe this incident is domestic violence related," Tushaus said.

Haughton was arrested, charged with domestic violence and damage to property. The salon kept its doors locked and warned other workers.

That incident resulted in a court order of protection, issued just three days ago, which cited domestic abuse-and required Haughton to turn in his guns.

Late Sunday afternoon, as police finished searching the salon, they found him dead of a self-inflicted gunshot.

Whether or not there were red flags that might have curtailed what happened, there is a gunman dead, his estranged wife dead, and their two daughters, ages 12 and 21, without parents.

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wisconsin news, chuck goudie

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