According to authorities on Wednesday, investigators in a Utah community believe a man ruthlessly murdered his family, including three children, before taking his own life.
A 17-year-old was spared in the West Valley City incident. According to Roxeanne Vainuku, a police spokesman, he was wounded in the head and is still in serious condition.
She told reporters, “Our first conclusion is that the father probably shot all of the family members before shooting himself, but police need ballistic and other evidence to confirm that.”
According to a statement released by the extended family on Thursday, the fatalities were identified as four members of a Karenni refugee family who had left Myanmar over a decade ago.
Mother Bu Meh, 38; son Boe Reh, 11; and daughters Kristina Ree, 8, and Nyay Meh, 2 were the victims recognized as having been slaughtered.
Police named the deceased father of the family, Dae Reh, 42, as the culprit.
When a worried relative visited the house on Tuesday, she said, she discovered the injured 17-year-old son in the garage.
According to her, when police arrived, they discovered the father and his 11-year-old son dead in the main room and the mother and her two kids dead in an upstairs bedroom.
According to Vainuku, a firearm was discovered under the father’s body.
The shootings, according to the police, occurred sometime over the weekend. According to her, autopsies will verify the official cause of death and may provide additional insight into the time of their shooting.
According to Vainuku, investigators think the 17-year-old was injured and then went to the garage, not shot there.
According to her, he suffered a serious brain injury and is unable to speak to police.
According to Vainuku, the family member who made the finding has been in constant contact with the family and got worried when that ceased.
The surviving boy was referred to by the family as their “hero.”
“His road to recovery is lengthy and intricate. He requires our undivided love, our whole focus, and the healing and peace that the Savior has given us,” the statement read.
The family statement said the children’s mother had taught herself English and worked hard to provide for her family, who were “finally enjoying a level of prosperity far beyond the nightmare of their former country or the refugee camp in Thailand in which they lived for a season.”
The statement went on to say, “for reasons that we cannot comprehend, her husband robbed her and their children of that security and their very lives.”
According to Vainuku, there is no record of domestic abuse at the residence, no letter was left, and the police have no reason to investigate.
We are aware that many are curious as to why. We’re curious as to why. However, she acknowledged that we might never find out. We don’t have any history with this family, therefore we don’t know why this occurred.
To reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, text or call 988, or chat online at 988lifeline.org, if you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis. For more assistance, go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.
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