A Utah mother who police believe was shot and killed by her husband along with three of their children was a refugee who fled violence in Myanmar and dreamed of thriving with her family in the U.S., relatives said Thursday.
Police believe the husband killed his family before shooting himself, and a teenage son was badly wounded.
The bodies of Bu Meh, 38, along with her daughters Kristina Ree, 8, and Nyay Meh, 2, and son Boe Reh, 11, were found in their home in West Valley City, a Salt Lake City suburb, on Tuesday. A handgun was found under the father Dae Reh, 42, leading police to believe this was a murder-suicide, but no evidence of a motive has been released.
One child, 17-year-old Sha Reh, survived being shot in the head and is hospitalized with a severe brain injury, police said.
Bu Meh, a member of Myanmar's Karenni ethnic minority, fled what her relatives described as ethnic cleansing in the Southeast Asian nation about 10 years ago. She and her small family lived for a time in a refugee camp in Thailand, then came to the United States “with little more than the clothing on their backs,” the family said in a statement.
She taught herself English, learned new skills and worked hard to support her growing family, achieving a way of life “far beyond the nightmare of her former country or the refugee camp,” the family said.
“For reasons that we cannot comprehend, her husband robbed her and their children of that security and their very lives,” her family said.
Police believe the shooting happened over the weekend.
Police initially went to the home Monday night after a relative asked them to check on the family but did not find any sign of an emergency that would allow them to enter the home. The relative went to the home Tuesday, saw Sha Reh wounded in the garage and called police, who found the bodies inside the home.
In their statement, relatives called Sha Reh their hero and said he faces a “long and complex road to recovery." An online fundraiser is collecting donations to pay for his care and to help him go to college.
Neighbors hadn’t reported any gunshots in the area over the weekend, police spokesperson Roxeanne Vainuku said at a news conference Wednesday. The family had no previous reports of domestic violence or other disturbances.
This Utah case is the 38th mass killing in the United States this year. At least 165 people have died this year in U.S. mass killings, which are defined by the FBI as cases in which four or more people die within a 24-hour period, not including the killer.
Police investigate a crime scene where they say multiple family members were found dead inside a home in West Valley City, Utah, Tuesday Dec. 17, 2024. (Scott G. Winterton/The Deseret News via AP)
Candles and other items are seen outside of a home Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, after multiple family members were found dead the day prior inside the home in West Valley City, Utah. (Jeffrey D. Allred/The Deseret News via AP)
Technicians investigate a crime scene where police say multiple family members were found dead inside a home in West Valley City, Utah, Tuesday Dec. 17, 2024. (Scott G. Winterton/The Deseret News via AP)
Neighbors Anita and her sister Alanis, along with their mother Astrid and father Robinson Pinilla, light candles Wednesday, Dec. 18, 2024, after multiple family members were found dead the day prior inside their home in West Valley City, Utah. (Jeffrey D. Allred/The Deseret News via AP)
Son Heung-min scored a spectacular goal directly from a corner to fire Tottenham into the English League Cup semifinals in a thrilling 4-3 win over Manchester United on Thursday.
Spurs will play Premier League leader Liverpool for a place in the final, and Arsenal was drawn against Newcastle in the other last-four matchup.
Son’s strike in the 88th-minute at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium came as Spurs tried to hold off a dramatic comeback from United, having led 3-0 in the second half.
United had pulled it back to 3-2 and was pushing for an equalizer when Son whipped in a curling right-footed shot past goalkeeper Altay Bayindir.
“Obviously we made it harder than it should have been, for sure," Tottenham manager Ange Postecoglou said and added, “Are you not entertained?”
United’s players complained Bayindir had been fouled by Tottenham’s Lucas Bergvall as Son’s shot flew past him. Replays appeared to show contact between the two, but with no VAR at this stage of the competition, there was no chance of a review.
Jonny Evans scored again for United in stoppage time, but Spurs held on for the win that had looked all but certain shortly after halftime.
Having gone ahead through Dominic Solanke’s goal from close range in the 15th, Tottenham took control after the break.
Dejan Kulusevski doubled the lead a minute after the restart and Solanke fired in his second in the 54th.
United head coach Ruben Amorim made a triple substitution — bringing on Joshua Zirkzee, Amad Diallo and Kobbie Mainoo.
It quickly had an impact with Zirkzee forcing Fraser Forster into a flying save and then capitalizing on a loose pass by the Tottenham goalkeeper to make it 3-1.
Forster was guilty of another mistake in the 70th when his attempted clearance was closed down by Diallo and ricocheted over the line.
United increased the pressure, but Son’s unlikely goal gave Spurs a cushion again — and it proved to be the decisive strike after Evans’ late header reduced the deficit again.
“I know the studio (punditry team) is probably going into meltdown over my lack of tactics,” Postecoglou said. “I love the fact that we go out there and take it to oppositions.”
James Robson is at https://twitter.com/jamesalanrobson
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Manchester United's manager Ruben Amorim reacts during the English League Cup quarter-final soccer match between Tottenham and Manchester United, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland )
Tottenham's head coach Ange Postecoglou reacts during the English League Cup quarter-final soccer match between Tottenham and Manchester United, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland )
Tottenham's Dejan Kulusevski, left, celebrates after scoring his side's second goal during the English League Cup quarter-final soccer match between Tottenham and Manchester United, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland )
Manchester United's Noussair Mazraoui in action during the English League Cup quarter-final soccer match between Tottenham and Manchester United, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland )
Tottenham's Dominic Solanke, right, celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during the English League Cup quarter-final soccer match between Tottenham and Manchester United, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland )
Manchester United's manager Ruben Amorim reacts during the English League Cup quarter-final soccer match between Tottenham and Manchester United, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland )
Tottenham's Son Heung-min, right, celebrates after scoring his side's fourth goal during the English League Cup quarter-final soccer match between Tottenham and Manchester United, at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London, Thursday, Dec. 19, 2024. (AP Photo/Dave Shopland )
