Investigators in Utah city believe a father shot and killed his wife and three of their children before turning the gun onto himself in a murder-suicide.
On Tuesday, police discovered the bodies of five people in a split-level house in a Salt Lake City suburb. The deceased victims, all believed to be family members, include a 42-year-old father, Dae Reh, a 38-year-old mother, Bu Meh, and three children aged 2, 9, and 11.
Prior to the police, the scene was discovered by a relative who had not been able to contact the family on Monday. That relative visited the house the next day and entered the garage, where she found 17-year-old Sha Reh---the sole survivor---with an apparent gunshot wound to the head, police said in a post on X (formerly Twitter). Authorities were called in after.
What Did Initial Investigations Find?
Investigators who responded to the gruesome scene found the mother and two children dead in a bedroom upstairs. The father and an 11-year-old child were found in the living room.
While their deaths and the circumstances surrounding them are still being investigated, officers said they believe the father to be the shooter after a handgun was found under his body. They also think the shootings happened over the weekend but are still waiting for the results of the autopsies to confirm their theory, per NBC News.
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Meanwhile, they believe the 17-year-old likely made his way to the garage after he was shot in a different area of the house. He has sustained a severe brain injury and is not able to communicate with authorities as of writing.
The motive is currently unclear. Authorities said they found no history of domestic violence at the home. The neighbors also never reported any gunshots in the area over the weekend. The police have also not found any notes.
What Has the Family's Relatives Said?
The extended family of Bu Meh, the mother, released a statement Thursday where they said they were shocked to learn of the alleged murder-suicide.
In the same statement, they hailed Sha Reh, the 17-year-old survivor, as a "hero" and added that he has a "long and complex road to recovery."
