Radcliffe Franklin Haughton

Radcliffe Franklin Haughton was born on December 15, 1966, and raised in Jamaica. As an adult, he moved to the United States, initially living in northern Cook County, Illinois, before relocating to the Milwaukee metropolitan area in Wisconsin. Haughton later settled in Brown Deer, a suburb north of Milwaukee.

Haughton was a former member of the United States Marine Corps. By 2012, he was estranged from his wife, Zina Haughton, with whom he shared a 12‑year‑old daughter. Zina Haughton also had an adult daughter from a previous relationship, who worked at the Azana Spa. The marriage had deteriorated amid reports of domestic conflict, and a restraining order had been issued against Haughton shortly before the shooting.

At the time of the attack, Haughton was legally prohibited from possessing firearms due to the restraining order. In the days leading up to the shooting, he reportedly warned both his father and a neighbor that he would kill his wife and others if he obtained a gun. Despite this, he was able to purchase a firearm and ammunition shortly before carrying out the attack.

On the morning of October 21, 2012, Radcliffe Haughton traveled by taxi to the Azana Spa, located at 200 North Moorland Road in Brookfield. He was wearing camouflage clothing and carrying a backpack. When he did not initially see his estranged wife’s vehicle in the parking lot, he and the taxi driver went to a nearby Burger King restaurant. After eating, Haughton returned to the spa once he observed his wife’s car in the lot.

The taxi driver later told investigators that Haughton appeared visibly shaken and unsteady as he exited the cab. At 11:09 a.m., Haughton entered the spa. Inside, he encountered his estranged wife, who attempted to speak calmly with him in an effort to de‑escalate the situation. Haughton grabbed her by the hair and fired four shots into the floor using a .40‑caliber FN FNP handgun, forcing everyone inside the spa to lie on the ground.

Haughton then began shooting at the occupants. He first shot a pregnant woman, who survived. He next shot and killed another woman. A third woman was fatally shot as she attempted to reason with him while comforting Haughton’s stepdaughter, who was an employee at the spa and managed to escape unharmed. After injuring several others, Haughton shot and killed his estranged wife.

During the attack, Haughton reloaded at least once. After changing magazines, his firearm jammed, which allowed the spa’s former owner to escape. The former owner locked an exit door and fled upstairs, where a fire was later set inside the building.

At approximately 11:22 a.m., Haughton placed a phone call to his brother, Robert, telling him to travel to Wisconsin because “all hell is breaking loose.” Shortly thereafter, Haughton fatally shot himself inside the spa.

Emergency responders evacuated a total of 19 people from the spa. Four individuals, including the shooter, died as a result of the incident. Multiple victims were transported to Froedtert Memorial Hospital, where several underwent surgery. All surviving victims were expected to recover.

Law enforcement initially searched the surrounding area, including the nearby Brookfield Square shopping center, which was temporarily closed. Bomb disposal units and federal agents responded after reports of a fire and a suspected improvised explosive device, though no additional explosives were detonated.

Haughton’s body was not discovered until several hours after the shooting. Authorities later confirmed that his death was caused by a self‑inflicted gunshot wound.

Three women were killed in the attack:

• Zina Haughton, 42, of Brown Deer, Wisconsin (estranged wife of the shooter)
• Cary L. Robuck, 32, of Racine, Wisconsin
• Maelyn M. Lind, 38, of Merton, Wisconsin

Zina Haughton was shot multiple times. Robuck sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the neck, and Lind was shot in the head and chest.

Four additional women were wounded, including a woman who was seven months pregnant and sustained a gunshot wound to the neck. All surviving victims were treated at Froedtert Hospital.