A Utah mother and her three young children, who local authorities believe were murdered by the father, were refugees from Myanmar seeking a better life in the United States, relatives shared with the Associated Press on Thursday.
The horrific incident, which unfolded in West Valley City, a suburb of Salt Lake City, left Bu Meh, 38, and her children—Kristina Ree, 8, Nyay Meh, 2, and Boe Reh, 11—dead, with the father, 42-year-old Dae Reh, taking his own life after the killings.
The couple’s 17-year-old son, Sha Reh, miraculously survived the attack, but he suffered severe brain injuries after being shot in the face. The discovery of the bodies took place on Tuesday after police were called for a welfare check the day prior, but they found no immediate cause for concern, told CBS News.
However, relatives of the family arrived on Tuesday, discovering Sha Reh wounded in the garage and then alerting the authorities. When police entered the home, they found the tragic scene inside. The handgun found near Dae Reh’s body leads investigators to believe the shooting was a murder-suicide, though the motive for the horrific act remains unclear.
Bu Meh and her family had fled Myanmar, a country where they faced ethnic violence and oppression. A member of the Karenni ethnic minority, Bu Meh escaped ethnic cleansing in Myanmar about ten years ago.
She and her family spent some time in a refugee camp in Thailand before coming to the United States, where they hoped to build a better future. “She fled the country with little more than the clothing on their backs,” relatives said.
Bu Meh worked tirelessly to support her family, teaching herself English and learning new skills, creating a life that her family described as “far beyond the nightmare of her former country or the refugee camp.”
The family expressed their shock and sorrow, saying, “For reasons that we cannot comprehend, her husband robbed her and their children of that security and their very lives.” Despite the tragedy, Sha Reh is being hailed as a hero by his relatives for surviving the attack.
He faces a long recovery, and an online fundraiser has been set up to assist with his medical care and to help him pursue his dreams of going to college.
Neighbors reported no unusual sounds, such as gunshots, during the weekend, and there had been no prior history of domestic violence in the home. The police investigation into the motive and the circumstances surrounding the tragic event is ongoing.