Gunman Radcliffe Haughton shot 3 dead including wife Zina Haughton before turning gun on himself

This is the smiling face of Zina Haughton, pictured for the first time since she was gunned down by her estranged husband on Sunday.

Ms Haughton was among three women killed by 45-year-old Radcliffe Haughton during his terrifying shooting spree at a day spa in Brookfield, Wisconsin.

He opened fire days after his wife was granted a restraining order preventing him from going near her, having taken to Facebook to appeal for help in escaping the state.

Four other victims, all female, were shot before Haughton tued the gun on himself. Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Tragic: Zina Haughton was among those shot dead by her estranged husband on Sunday at the spa where she worked

Haughton was targeting his estranged wife when he arrived at the spa at around 11am.

Court records show that a judge issued a order of protection against Haughton just three days ago on October 18, hinting that there was a credible threat against her.

Under that order, Haughton was prohibited from owning a firearm.

It was filed after an October 4 incident at the salon, where Mrs Haughton worked as a hair stylist, when the enraged 45-year-old slashed his wife's tires in the parking lot.

 

Suicidal: Haughton shot himself dead after going on his terrifying shooting spree

Haughton's two daughters - one of which was believed to have been at the salon at the time of the shooting - were found by police and are safe, according to Brown Deer police chief Steven Rinzel.

Chief Rinzel said that his department was familiar with Haughton - most recently on a domestic violence investigation at the home, which resulted in Haughton's arrest.

On his Facebook page Haughton wrote about a pressing need to leave his home in Wisconsin.

'Need to get out of Wisconsin. HELP...' he posted on October 8. The next day he followed it up with: 'Can anyone help me get out of Wisconsin?'

The Joual Sentinel contacted his father, Radcliffe Haughton Sr., who lives in Florida.

He said the he spoke to his son by phone last week shortly after his estranged wife had been awarded the restraining order against him.

Terrifying: Radcliffe Haughton killed three women and injured four others during his gun-wielding rampage

'I told him, whatever you do, don't do anything stupid,' Mr Haughton Sr. said.

'He told me, "I have to get out of Wisconsin."

'I am so saddened. 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.

'So he hasn't been apprehended? Oh Lord. Have mercy, God.

A witness saw a woman screaming, and running out of the spa towards traffic.

'She ran right out into the street (and) was pounding on cars,' David Gosh told The Joual Sentinel.

He then saw a man carrying a handgun run after her, and he was thought to be chasing after the woman.

The gunman then saw police beginning to gather and he ran back in the direction in which he came, and back into the spa.

'He was the shooter. He was looking for an escape route,' Mr Gosh said.

Disturbing: In the weeks leading up to the shooting Haughton appealed for help in leaving Wisconsin on his Facebook page

A witness told the Joual-Sentinel that a he saw a young girl running through a parking lot in a panic after her mother was reportedly shot.

'She was screaming, yelling, crying hysterical. She was pleading for help,' Christopher Pfeiffer told the local paper.

'She kept saying, "My mother was shot." And she mentioned that there was a gunman. She ran into the bookstore and I followed her. But I watched her from afar.'

Live video of the Azana spa shows a tactical team moving in around 2pm on Sunday.

According to the spa's website, it boasts that it is the largest salon and day spa in Brookfield with 9,000-square-feet. 

The layout of the spa- which has ten treatment rooms, male and female locker rooms, and a cafe area-complicates issues for police as people may be hiding inside.

The owner of the salon was out of the country at the time of the shooting and is reportedly headed back now.

Speaking at a news conference after the shooting, Brookfield Police Chief Daniel Tushaus said: 'It appears that he is deceased of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.'He added: 'There is no other suspect that we are seeking.'

During the investigation, cops encountered smoke from a small fire that had been started in the building, prompting them to issue a call for extreme caution and keeping them out.

Haughton was described as a bald ethnic man with darker skin, about 6 foot one inch tall and 270 pounds. He is believed to have taken a taxi to the spa.

This is the second mass shooting in the state in the past two months. An Army veteran opened fire at a Sikh temple in August, killing six people and injuring three others.

Local news reporters drew comparisons to an earlier incident in 2005, when a shooting took place at the nearby Sheraton hotel during a mass service.

In that  shooting, seven people were killed before the shooter tued the gun on himself.