Investigators in a Utah city believe a man fatally shot his family, including three children, before he killed himself, police said Wednesday.
A 17-year-old survived the shooting at a home in West Valley City. He was shot in the head and remains in critical condition, police spokesperson Roxeanne Vainuku said.
“That is our initial determination, is that the father likely shot all of the members of the family and then himself,” she told reporters, but police need ballistic and other evidence to confirm that.
The victims were identified as four members of a Karenni refugee family who had fled Myanmar more than 10 years ago, according to a statement from the extended family shared by police Thursday.
The victims who were killed were identified as mother Bu Meh, 38; son Boe Reh, 11; and daughters Kristina Ree, 8, and Nyay Meh, 2.
The dead father of the family, called the suspect by police, was identified as Dae Reh, 42.
The discovery was made Tuesday after a concerned family member went to the home and found the wounded 17-year-old son in the garage, she said.
Police were called and found the mother and the two daughters dead in an upstairs bedroom and the father and the 11-year-old son dead in the living room, she said.
A handgun was found beneath the father's body, Vainuku said.
Police believe the shootings happened sometime over the weekend. Autopsies will confirm the official cause of death and could shed more light about when they were shot, she said.
Investigators believe the 17-year-old was not shot in the garage but made his way there after he was wounded, Vainuku said.
He sustained a severe brain injury and is not able to communicate with police, she said.
The family member who made the discovery has been in regular communication with the family and became concerned when that had stopped, Vainuku said.
The family described the surviving son as their "hero."
"He has a long and complex road to recovery. He needs our full attention, our unconditional love, and the Savior's gifts of healing and peace," the statement said.
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 continued, "for reasons that we cannot comprehend, her husband robbed her and their children of that security and their very lives."
There has been no history of domestic violence at the home and no note left, and police don’t have a motive, Vainuku said.
“We know people want to know why. We want to know why. But the truth is we may never know,” she said. “We don’t have any information as to why this happened; we have no history with this family.”
If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline or chat live at 988lifeline.org. You can also visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional support.
