Facebook The Haynie family
There were seven members of the Haynie family of Grantsville, Utah on the morning of January 17, 2020. By nightfall, there were only three, and one of those – a teenager – stood accused of shooting three juvenile siblings and the mother to death.
The suspect is now named as Colin Jeffrey Haynie, 16. He also goes by the name CJ, and he’s charged as an adult. Horrifically, authorities allege he killed and wounded his family members in stages, with the shootings unfolding over a five-hour time frame.
It was a horrific tragedy. The Haynie family, who appeared to be close and positive on Facebook, frequently posted group pictures and religious passages. They are described by those who knew them as kind and giving and a “well-loved” family in the area. The tragedy has rallied the community behind the surviving members, the father (who was also wounded) and another son, who wasn’t home at the time and was not harmed. The family was beloved to a large number of supporters in the community.
“The greatest gift our parents gave us was each other,” the surviving sibling wrote on Instagram with a picture of his brothers and sisters a couple years ago.
A fundraiser has already raised more than $58,000 on Facebook by January 19, 2020. You can donate to help the surviving Haynie family members here. “This is absolutely heart breaking ? Please help if you’re able,” a woman wrote on that page. A candlelight vigil was held for the Haynie family on January 20.
The teenager was accused of shooting five family members, four fatally, inside a residence in a Salt Lake City, Utah suburb. The father was shot but rushed to the hospital, where he is recovering.
Police have not named the suspect in what is one of Utah’s worst mass shootings in years because he is a juvenile. They have now named the victims as:
Consuelo Alejandra Haynie, 52
Alexis Haynie, 15
Matthew Haynie, 14
Milan Haynie, 12
The father, Colin Haynie, 50, who has been released from the hospital.
Earlier, two different family members – a son and cousin – posted publicly about the January 17, 2020 tragedy on social media. More than 1,300 people have already contributed to the fundraising effort to help the surviving family members.
Yellow was Alexis Haynie’s favorite color. Now the trees at Grantsville HS are filled with yellow bows in her honor.
That fundraiser, by Patty Deakin-Daley, who runs a well-known Facebook group used by community members, is titled, “Funeral and Medical Expenses for the Haynie Family…Fundraiser for Danny Haynie.” Danny is a surviving son who posted on social media about the tragedy.
“A local family suffered a great loss this weekend,” Deakin-Daley wrote on the fundraiser page. “A Mom and her 3 minor children were killed and the Father was hospitalized in Critical condition. The family now has to pay the very expensive funeral and medical expenses related to this tragedy. There will be many expenses that will come up including having the home cleaned, repaired and made to feel like a home again. As a loving community, there has been many that have asked what can be done. This is the very best place to start. Thank you in advance for any donations, kind words, or up lifting messages that are sent. They are very much appreciated.”
Natalie Ipson, the community relations manager at BYU, shared the Haynie fundraiser page and wrote on Twitter, “It has been a horrific weekend for the idyllic neighborhood of my youth. Eastmoor Drive will always feel like home and its neighbors like family, including the friends just a few doors down who have gone through the unthinkable.”
The Grantsville mayor said in a press conference, “We appreciate the outpouring of support from our loving community and the surrounding area. Our hearts go out to the families, loved ones and close-knit neighborhood affected by this emotional tragic incident.”
Family photos posted to Facebook show a large, seemingly tight-knit family. Danny wasn’t harmed or present during the attack. The fifth shooting victim, the father, was taken to the hospital. On Saturday, police spokeswoman Rhonda Fields told The Associated Press, “We’re trying to make certain that we verify people’s relationships among the deceased and the survivor. As for motive, we don’t have any of that.”
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Family Members Were Remembered as Showing by Example ‘How to Serve’ & Love Others
The Haynie family
The family was beloved in many circles. A man who shared the fundraiser page on Facebook wrote, “The Haynie family lived just a couple doors down from where I grew up in Grantsville and were very close to our family. This tragic event has really affected my family, for multiple reasons. They have always been so kind and giving to us, always showing us by example how to serve and love your neighbors and friends.”
Fields, the public information officer, said in a January 20 press conference that, at 7 p.m., officers were dispatched to the home. Officers arrived and discovered four deceased persons.
“Grantsville Police entered the home and found the bodies of the defendant’s mother and his three younger siblings. Based on witness interviews, the defendant’s mother picked up defendant’s 12-year-old sister, Maylan, from school at about 1:00 p.m. The defendant murdered his mother and Maylan not long after they returned home by firing multiple rounds from a handgun into their heads, necks, and/or upper bodies,” a news release from the district attorney alleged. (Although the DA’s news release calls the children Maylan and Mathew, in the family’s obituary, their names are given as Milan and Matthew.)
“At approximately 2:00 p.m., 15-year-old sister, Alexis, came home from school. Sometime between her arrival home and 5:17 pm, the defendant murdered Alexis. She died from multiple gunshot wounds to her head and upper body. Based on witness interviews, at 5:17 p.m., 14-year-old brother, Mathew, arrived at home. Mathew died of a single gunshot wound to the head.”
About an hour later, the father arrived home.
“The defendant’s father was interviewed by law enforcement. He said that when he arrived at the family home at around 6:15 p.m., the defendant shot him in the leg. A struggle ensued and the defendant’s father was hit in the head with an unknown object, causing a laceration. The defendant’s father was able to get the handgun away from him. He said that the defendant told him that his mother and other siblings were dead and that his intention was to kill everyone in the house except himself,” the release alleges.
“They are five members of the same family,” Fields said. “A mother and three children were found deceased inside the home.” She said the suspect has “refused to speak with investigators” and is part of the same family.
The teen is accused of shooting the five people inside the family’s home in Grantsville, a Salt Lake City, Utah suburb. Fields, the police spokeswoman, told The Salt Lake Tribune that “all the victims lived together at the home,” but the suspect “is not speaking with police.” She added that a handgun was used in the homicides and that the police were waiting for “formal identification” from the medical examiner’s office.
News of the mass shooting broke on the evening of January 17, 2020. Grantsville is located about 35 miles from Salt Lake City. The community has a population of less than 10,000 people and is located in the Salt Lake City, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Danny Haynie, the surviving son who wasn’t home at the time of the attack, wrote on Facebook that his dad was the wounded victim, writing, “UPDATE: I am with my father at the hospital and he is in Stable Condition. I just want to thank you all for your prayers and your support toward me and my dad. All I can ask is for your continued support and prayers. Seriously, thank you all.” Horrifically, he wrote earlier: “Anyone in Grantsville know is going on??? I can’t get ahold of my family and they live on the street where the shooting happened.”
Danny also wrote, “Dispatch wouldn’t tell me, even when I gave them the name. I pretty much had to piece it together, based on what everyone was telling me. But I’m on my way up now.”
A man wrote on Facebook, “Please keep Danny Haynie and his dad in your prayers.”
Danny Haynie says on Facebook that he is 24 and studies at UVU. One photo on Facebook read, “Welcome elder Haynie returned with honor.”
He also wrote about his family tragedy on Twitter, writing, “Not looking forward to people using this to try and push their political agendas…especially when they don’t have all the true facts. And no, media members, I will not giving you guys the ‘juicy deets’ for your articles…”
He added: “Always keep your loved ones close to you, my friends. Always let them know that you love them, even if it seem redundant. You never know when your last interaction with someone might be your last….Thank you all for the support. Please keep my Dad in your prayers and thoughts.”
A screenshot of an old Facebook post, no longer visible on Danny’s page, praises his brother’s “work ethic” and says “you’re gonna go places in life.” It says the brother is 16.
Danny also wrote, “It seems like the Tribune and others already got the news and the address before I did so. I found out through the news and on social media first. I didn’t get the official word until hours later.”
Megan Haynie Cowley shared the fundraiser page and wrote on Facebook, “I’ve struggled to write this post all day. ? Prayers and donations for my uncle and cousin would be so appreciated. Friday evening, our cousins and aunt were taken from us in a shooting incident. Our uncle was injured but is stable and his oldest son, who was not there, is with him now.”
She continued, “We still have so many questions and don’t know all the details, but I ask everyone to PLEASE be understanding and kind with your words. It can be so easy to want to blame someone and let that take over but as more information comes out, we ask that everyone remember that it is not for us to judge. We are absolutely heartbroken by this loss and are so grateful for the time we were able to spend with our cousins and aunt this past month at a family reunion. The best way to help our family now is helping them prepare for the overwhelming funeral costs and medical bills they will face, among other things. Hug your loved ones tighter tonight and tell them how much you love them ?.”
2. The Parents Belonged to the LDS Community, Whose Spokesman Declared ‘We Love This Family,’ Pledging Support
The Haynie family.
On Facebook, the parents used a joint Facebook page called Alex and Colin Haynie. “He knows your name and he knows your need,” says the religious graphic that is their profile picture. The family belonged to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, according to social media posts and The Salt Lake Tribune.
The family’s obituary gives this information about each victim:
“Alejandra Haynie was raised in Chihuahua, Mexico on May 8, 1967. She was a loving mother to her children and loved to prepare delicious meals and desserts. She also loved to garden and care for her fruit trees. She was always willing to help out and serve people in the ward and the community.
Alexis was born in Bountiful, Utah on September 9, 2004. She was a freshman at Grantsville High School and was the goalie on the High School Girls’ Junior Varsity Soccer team. Alexis was an accomplished artist and loved to play the piano. Other interests included The Lord of The Rings and playing with her siblings and friends.
Matthew Haynie was born in Bountiful, Utah on October 18, 2005. He was in the 8th grade at Excelsior Junior High and was well liked by his teachers and peers. He enjoyed playing soccer, wrestling, playing chess and anything to do with Star Wars and gaining the “high ground”.
Milan Haynie was born in Bountiful Utah on April 5, 2007. She was in the 7th Grade at Excelsior Junior High. She wanted to be an engineer, enjoyed playing soccer, volleyball and creating art with her sister, taking a specialized interest in super heroes. She liked to leave loving and encouraging notes signed ‘from so and so.'”
“There are no words to describe our heartbreak and grief,” Jason Killian, a stake president with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, said in a statement to Deseret News and Fox 13. “We are devastated and so deeply saddened by what has occurred. We love this family, and will support them and the rest of our small community as we mourn together.”
On Instagram, Danny posted a tribute to his mom on Mother’s Day, writing that she was a “wonderful mother who has always been there for me no matter what.” He also posted a tribute to both parents, writing previously, “October 3rd is a very special day in the Haynie Family. Tis the date that my wonderful mother and father got married ? I’m so thankful and feel so blessed to have such wonderful parents. Thank you guys for all that you do! ‘One of the greatest titles in the world is parent, and one of the biggest blessings in the world is to have parents to call mom and dad.'”
The posts give broader insight into the family beyond the events of January 17.
He called his siblings his “best friends” in another post. “Had a fun day at the Aquarium with my amazing family. Look at my mini-mes. They are growing up. Love my siblings! They’re definitely my best friends.” Another post showed the family hiking together. “…In the end we helped push each other and we all made it to the top. Family means nobody gets left behind or forgotten,” he wrote. Two years ago, he wrote on Instagram, “There are no words to describe how proud I am of my little brother. He ran his very first 5K and we both won our age divisions and took 2nd and 3rd overall ?”
Colin Haynie, the father, once started an LLC called Launch Team 58, but it was dissolved.
In 2018, the parents’ page wrote, “Love this and need this today. President Uchtdorf Shares Short, Powerful Message: The Lord knows you. He knows your heart and is pleased with your sacrifice. He smiles upon you each day. He will uphold you and prepare the way for you. He will send His angels before you. You will feel their presence…” According to a church website, Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf “was called as second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on February 3, 2008.”
A 2017 post by the family read, “We don’t have to walk alone, I know that my Savior lives! I know at the times when I feel most lonely I can turn to him and I know he will be there by the power of the Holy Ghost!”
The parents’ likes included LDS videos and the Book of Mormon. The father has a pilot’s license.
Colin Haynie has a confusing Kickstarter campaign from 2013 that is still visible online. The campaign said, “Colin L Haynie is raising funds for The Hardly Can Romance – Hardback Campaign on Kickstarter!”
That page explains, “The Hardly Can Romance – Hardback Campaign. Even though Hardly Can hardly can, Hardly can. Can you? What is it you romance? What is your ‘Hardly Can’ project?”
The father’s Kickstarter page has a video that contains a rambling explanation of the project. In the video, Colin Haynie, standing in front of scenes of space, says he’s the author who was behind “Hardly Can Romance” and the engineer behind Launch Team 58.
Colin Haynie
He described other “Hardly Can” projects, which he said can relate to parenting or relationships. He explained the concept as ideas people want to achieve but “hardly can.” “Hardly can is part a 66-page poem anonymously signed with an X as if from a secret admirer; it’s an icebreaker that led to a romance,” he explains.
The book is a “humorous in hindsight read,” but hardly can “involves what we all feel at times,” Colin says in the unusual video. Hardly Can is not limited to romance but “seems to be my life theme,” he says, before reading a snippet of poetry.
“At a higher level the hardly can romance is a hardly can project nested two levels deep in other hardly can projects. My high-level goal is to launch an education project called the school of the pilots, but I hardly can,” the father says in the video.
A scene from Colin Haynie’s video.
“So to help me launch the school I am creating a similar autonomous robot music group to generate publicity and help me inspire students, but I hardly can. So I created Launch Team 58 to develop the tools and technologies for the music group. It started out slowly but hardly, that would be me, can and is. The Hardly Can romance is one of the Launch Team 58 sub projects… I am hoping I can generate publicity for my music project.”
Another scene from Colin Haynie’s video.
E-books and websites are “powerful tools” when promoting a website, Colin said, but he added that he was pushing to publish hardback copies of the Hardly Can romance. He said he was offering e-books, hard copy T-shirts, and plaques he cast in his own furnace and access to an engineer via Skype to help pilot people through trouble spots.
3. Police Found the Accused Shooter in the Hospital & the Family Expressed Resilience on Facebook
Members of the Haynie family.
Fox 13 reported that, according to a probable cause statement, authorities received a call from a female, who was not named, who said that she, Colin and Colin’s dad were driving to the hospital and Colin said he had killed his family.
Horrifically, authorities believe that Colin killed his mother and Maylan first, at 1 p.m., and then waited until his other two siblings came home before killing them too. At around 6:15 p.m., the father arrived home and told police that his son shot him in the leg, Fox13 reported.
“A struggle ensued and [Colin]’s father was hit in the head with an unknown object, causing a laceration. [Colin]’s father said that he told [Colin] that [Colin]’s mother would be sad if [Colin] killed him. He said that [Colin] told him that his mother and other siblings were already dead,” the probable cause statement says. “[Colin]’s father was able to get the handgun away from him. [Colin] told his father that his intention was to kill everyone in the house except himself.”
Tooele County School District wrote on Facebook that it was “deeply saddened and shocked to hear of the events that occurred last night in Grantsville. We want to express our sincere condolences to those who have been impacted by this tragic situation.”
The district added: “It is important that we stand together to care for and support each other through this difficult time. The District crisis team has been working to ensure students and staff will have counseling services in the Grantsville area, as well as in schools throughout Tooele County School District. Services will be available on Tuesday, January 21. We will provide more information as it becomes available.”
In 2016, the parents’ Facebook page shared a Bible verse about God promising to make something good out of the “storms that bring devastation to your life,” and wrote, “Our family really need this: Dear friends…If you guys don’t mind, tomorrow is Fast Sunday…can you fast for our family? Please Petition the Lord that the things we are struggling with will be mended, that our family will be blessed with opportunity in all the things we stand in need of. I would be so grateful for your prayers and your fast tomorrow. Thanks dear friends!”
#BREAKING: adult male – 5th victim in #Grantsville homicides – is not yet awake but hospital says he is in “stable condition”. @KUTV2News
In some Facebook posts, the family was tagged in scouting and religious events.
The police spokeswoman Fields provided some details in a news conference early on, although authorities haven’t said a great deal at this stage. Officers responded to the home at 7 p.m. Officers were given the information “that there were possibly deceased individuals in the house….they located four deceased individuals.”
According to Fields, “It’s believed they may all be related.” She described the victims as “three female subjects, two of which are juveniles and one of which is an adult female. The fourth subject who is deceased is a juvenile male.”
A male subject, the fifth victim, “had already left the residence on the way to the hospital as he had sustained a gunshot wound as well,” she said, adding that the fifth victim is in stable condition and is expected to survive.
There’s only one shooter and that person has been taken into custody.
“We haven’t confirmed his relationship if any to the victims. He had actually left the residence as well and was at the hospital. He hadn’t sustained any injuries, although he was found at the hospital. There was no incident in taking him into custody,” said Fields early on.
4. A Neighbor Described the Children as Intelligent & the Family as Happy & Outgoing
Danny with his parents.
Neighbor Laurie Bahe told Fox 13: “There have been a lot of tears shed on our street. It’s really sad and shocking, and just a very terrible situation.” She described the children as “quiet, shy, intelligent and kind,” according to the television station, which added that the kids were known to help their neighbors with yard work.
“I just can’t believe that it happened,” she said to the television station. “I feel terrible for that family.”
Bahe told Deseret News that the family was “happy” and “outgoing” and always made neighborhood block parties.
A terrible turn of events happening last night in Grantsville. 4 are dead, 3 of them under the age of 18 and a 5th victim is recovering in the hospital. One person is in custody and was arrested at the hospital for their murder. Live with @AmyNayNews with more only on @fox13
In the news conference, Fields described Grantsville as a “relatively quiet community. We don’t see things like this here.”
As the suspect was driven to the hospital with the surviving victim (the wounded dad) by another unidentified person, it all added up to “a lot of confusion, a lot of questions and unknowns,” said Fields. She believes the suspect and surviving victim went to the hospital together in addition with a third person who arrived after the shooting and hasn’t been named.
Investigators have cleared the scene at a quadruple homicide in Grantsville
“We need to establish a timeline for the course of events for the entire day to get a starting point… a clear picture of what’s taking place today,” she said.
She said there was no police history to the house. “It makes it a little more difficult to try to piece things together” especially within hours of the incident, Fields said.
5. The Governor Declared That Hearts Are Broken Over the Tragedy
Two of the siblings, Danny and CJ Haynie
Police were alerted by a 911 call made by the person “who actually drove the surviving victim up to the hospital,” said Fields.
Gov. Gary Herbert tweeted about the tragedy, writing, “Our hearts are broken by the horrible news coming out of Grantsville tonight,” he said. “We mourn over the loss of innocent lives.” Again, it’s not clear who placed the call or drove the father to the hospital.
At the scene, Grantsville Mayor Brent Marshall, told Deseret News: “It’s an unfortunate tragedy that has taken place here this evening. And I’m sure it will take days or even longer to try and piece together what brought all of this one and why it happened, if we ever get to know why it happened. It’s upsetting. This is normally a very quiet neighborhood, and any time you have children involved in something, it becomes very emotional, very fast.”
Grantsville Mayor Marshall and Tooele County Sheriff Paul Wimmer just showed up, handing out hot chocolate to responders.
This post is being updated as more information is learned about the Salt Lake City area shooting.
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