Utah — A family in Utah who fled their home country of Myanmar to avoid being “ethnically cleansed” were slaughtered last week in a “senseless” murder-suicide, with the mother and three of her young children gunned down by their father—the woman’s husband—inside their suburban Salt Lake City home, including their 2-year-old daughter, police say.
Dae Reh, 42, allegedly used a handgun to kill his children and wife last Tuesday, Dec. 17, at their home in West Valley City, a Salt Lake suburb about 10 miles from the Utah capital, before turning the weapon on himself.
On Dec. 19, the West Valley City Police Department released a family statement identifying the victims as Bu Meh, 38, and her children Kristina Ree, 8, Boe Reh, 11, and Nyay Meh, 2. Sha Reh, a fifth family member who was 17 at the time and is now 18 years old, sustained a gunshot wound to the head but survived.
Relatives said in the police statement, also shared on a family GoFundMe page, that Sha Reh is the only survivor in his immediate family following a tragic act of violence.
“He faces a long and difficult road to recovery. He requires our complete attention, unwavering love, and the Savior’s gift of healing and peace.
The authorities discovered the bodies of Bu Meh, Kristina Ree, and Nyay Meh upstairs in the home, and Dae Reh and Boe Reh downstairs.
Cops responded to the scene after a relative called the authorities and expressed “concerns” about not hearing from Bu Meh, who had also failed to report to work.
The relative stated that they went to her house to investigate and discovered Sha Reh critically injured in the garage.
“Sha Reh is our 17-year-old hero,” the family said in a statement updated this week with new details about his condition.
“We are continuing to see improvements with Sha Reh, and we pray we will continue to see many more miracles with his recovery.”
According to police and her extended family, Bu Meh was a refugee who came to the United States with her family “over ten years ago” to escape violence in the Southeast Asian country.
A family member said, “She fled a violent situation in her home country of Myanmar, where her government was ethnically cleansing her people.”
“She came to the United States with her husband and young family, carrying only the clothes on their backs. … After they moved into their own home and finally experienced a level of prosperity far beyond the nightmare of their former country or the refugee camp in Thailand where they spent a season, her husband robbed her and their children of that security and their very lives for reasons we cannot understand.
According to Utah local media, Bu Meh’s family appears to be “happy” and has many acquaintances in the community.
“How can a father shoot his children?” A neighbor, Mike Webster, told CBS affiliate KUTV. “I simply cannot grasp that concept.”
On Saturday, the same day Sha Reh turned 18, his family held a funeral and memorial in their honor at a local Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meetinghouse in Salt Lake City.
“May God give him the strength,” the teen’s uncle-in-law, Laesgaw K’Chawtee, said at the funeral, according to local Fox affiliate KSTU. “May God remind us of the value of family.” Father, give us the spirit to love one another over and over again.”
