WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah — Shock continues to settle in as more is revealed about the five West Valley City family members who died in what police are calling a murder-suicide.
On Thursday, the identities of the four victims, including three young children who were allegedly killed by their father earlier this week were released.
Police provided the names of the four victims and suspect:
- Bu Meh 38, (mother)
- Boe Reh 11, (son)
- Kristina Ree 8, (daughter)
- Nyay Meh 2, (daughter)
- Dae Reh, 42, (father)
Michelle Schmidt says she helped take the family under her wing as a family that was new to Utah and a refugee family.
She told FOX 13 News on Thursday that she helped figure out ways to help them transition, whether it was figuring out how to pay rent, find housing, pay bills, get health insurance and get kids registered in school.
Over the years, Schmidt says a friendship developed with the family, connecting them with her family and others. She says they would celebrate holidays and events with the family.
"We love this family, we adore this family, they are sweet, they are good people that were given a rough lot in life, there's a lot of struggles and trials that they have fought through," said Schmidt. "It's tragic, and it's really sad to see things end this way.
Schmidt told FOX 13 News she got a call on Tuesday that the 11-year-old boy, Boe Reh, wasn't in school for the second straight day. It wasn't until later in the day she learned about what happened.
"When I heard the news that night, it was just absolute shock," said Schmidt.
Schmidt says she had been at the family's home on last Friday, just before police said this incident took place over the weekend.
"We just wanted to go and kind of connect and really check in and assess how are things going, what successes are we having, what failures are we having? How can we be helpful to you, where can we support you," said Schmidt. "We did not leave the house feeling, like there was a cry for help by any means."
The 17-year-old son and lone survivor of this incident is no longer in critical condition, but stable after being shot in the head.
Schmidt says the boy is a senior at Granger High School.
She says she has been up to see him at the hospital for the past two days. While Schmidt says the boy is groggy, he has been able to speak a little bit.
"There's someone in there asking questions on his future and what his goals are and he talked about, he said, University of Utah and they said, what do you want to study? and he said lawyer, just simple kind of one word answers," said Schmidt.
Schmidt told FOX 13 News funeral services are being planned for the family.
She says those services are set to take place on Saturday, which is also the 18th birthday of the boy who survived.
Schmidt has started a GoFundMe for the family here.
