Father of suspect warned son, 'Don't do anything stupid'

Photo Gallery

• Brookfield spa shooting

Radcliffe F. Haughton

Zina Haughton

Today's TMJ4 Video

Loading...

Click image to enlarge.

Click image to enlarge.

Related Coverage

• Gunman kills 3 women, wounds 4 others, then commits suicide
• Father of shooting suspect warned son, 'Don't do anything stupid'
• Estranged wife a hard working, devoted mother
• Police searched Brown Deer home of suspected shooter
• Sikh temple held vigil for Brookfield victims
• Azana owner says she's devastated by spa shootings
• Massage therapist describes tense 45 minutes in hiding
• Information on shooting victims sought
• PDF: Read the restraining order
• Storify: How the story unfolded on social media
• Duane Dudek: Shooting shakes up TV programming day

Brookfield Spa Shooting

Special Section: Complete coverage of the shooting at Azana Salon & Spa in Brookfield

Radcliffe F. Haughton wanted to get out of Wisconsin.

After his wife obtained a four-year restraining order against him last Thursday, he called his father in Florida and said he needed to leave the state.

His father said he could come to Florida and stay with him.

"I told him, 'Whatever you do, don't do anything stupid,' " said the elder Radcliffe Haughton, who shares the same name as his son.

But the younger Haughton never made it to Florida.

On Sunday morning, the 45-year-old from Brown Deer went on a shooting rampage at a Brookfield spa where his estranged wife worked, killing three people and injuring four others before killing himself. Police did not identify any of the victims but said the shooting was driven by domestic violence.

The restraining order, obtained in Milwaukee County Circuit Court, required that Haughton surrender his guns to the sheriff, according to online court records.

On Oct. 4, Zina Haughton had reported to police that her tires were slashed while she worked at Azana Salon & Spa, where the shooting occurred. Her 20-year-old daughter may have worked at the salon as well.

Although the Haughtons live in a relatively quiet neighborhood on Glenbrook Road in Brown Deer, their home has been known as one with conflict.

"In my son's words, 'It is real messed up over there,' " said Daniel Montenero, 58, a neighbor whose son is friends with Zina's daughter.

Montenero's son had repeatedly described the Haughton home as "chaotic" and said there were bullet holes in walls.

Another neighbor, who did not want to be named, said police surrounded the Haughtons' home last winter.

A former neighbor, who also did not want to be named, said the couple frequently got into quarrels, some of which turned into physical fights. Haughton's wife had accused him of not being faithful to her, the neighbor said.

The elder Haughton said his son had told him few details about the problems in his marriage. He just knew his son wanted to relocate.

"Sometimes we as parents have to allow our children to come home with no questions asked. All we need to do is greet them in love," the elder Haughton said. "And that is what I told him. 'If you need a place to stay, come by me.' "

The younger Haughton grew up in Wheeling and Northbrook, Ill., and spent four years in the Marines after high school, his father said.

He later became a general manager of a car dealership in Illinois and also may have worked at dealerships in Milwaukee and Madison. He is listed online as a manager of the Jaguar Land Rover dealership in Madison.

Haughton lost his job a few years ago and might have had another job working in sales, his father said.

Radcliffe and Zina Haughton had a 13-year-old daughter together.

Bernard Frye, who went to Wheeling High School with Haughton in the mid-1980s, said he was shocked to see his friend's name and face on national news as police searched for him Sunday.

"I'm in disbelief," he said.

Frye said Haughton had run track in high school and was a "nice, very personable" guy. He hadn't seen Haughton in about 10 years, but they kept in touch through Facebook. Haughton had given no indication he was having marital problems, Frye said.

On Oct. 8 and 9, the younger Haughton wrote on his own Facebook page: "Need to get out of Wisconsin, HELP . . ." and "can anyone help me get out of Wisconsin."

The elder Haughton said he is at a loss to explain what his son had done.

"I am so saddened," he said. "I don't know what to tell you. As his father, I am very, very sorry and I did not expect this from my son."

John Diedrich, Crocker Stephenson and James Causey of the Journal Sentinel staff contributed to this report.