Son injured in West Valley City homicide survives, ready to leave hospital
Jan 7, 2025, 4:35 PM | Updated: Jan 9, 2025, 12:58 pm
WEST VALLEY CITY — The son who was seriously injured in a family homicide in December survived and is prepared to be released from the hospital soon.
According to a Facebook post, 18-year-old Sha Reh has been recovering from a gunshot wound to the head, as faculty members from Granger High School came to visit him.
“During the intervening three weeks, Sha Reh has progressed from the shock trauma unit at IMC to a regular hospital room to now being in rehabilitation,” the extended family said in a statement.
The gunshot wound comes from the West Valley City homicide that occurred in mid-December, claiming the lives of his four family members.
Investigators believe the homicide was conducted by Sha Reh’s father, 42-year-old Dae Reh, who fatally shot Bu Meh, 38, their son Boe Reh, 11, and two daughters Kristina Ree, 8, and 2-year-old Nyay Meh.
Sha Reh is expected to make a full recovery, making this moment one of the “most fabulous miracles of the season,” according to the Facebook post.
“He’s strong and he gives me strength by watching that. It’s certainly not anything that he would want, or anyone around him would want, but I’m very proud of the kind of person he is because of this and how he’s responded to this,” said Granger High School Principal Tyler Howe.
According to the family, Sha Reh is unable to remember the events that happened when his family was killed.
“While Sha Reh cannot remember the tragic events of that December night, his short and long-term memory have improved significantly since first being hospitalized. He is able to vocalize his emotions, feelings, and needs. He has made tremendous progress with the physical, occupational, and speech therapies offered to him by professionals,” the family said.
However, the family said Sha Reh is experiencing “new vision loss,” which prevents him from being able to see clearly.
“At times, he can discern when a room is light or dark, but such episodes are sporadic and inconsistent,” the family said.
Michelle Schmidt, a family friend, said they’re hoping for a miracle with his vision. Schmidt has been heavily involved in Sha Reh’s recovery, along with another family friend Bridget Harding.
“Sha Reh is a fighter. He had a few really dark, terrible, sad days. But by many tender mercies he was able to pull out of that head space and reset and look forward to the future with faith and a desire to figure things out,” Schmidt said. “He is scared. He is overwhelmed, but he is hopeful and pressing forward with faith and love.”
“Honestly, we are taking it one day, one week at a time. We are learning so much about how to care for our friend and his extended family, to meet his and their many needs as they surface,” Harding said.
According to the family, Sha Reh will be cared for by his aunt, uncle and cousins. Sha Reh is expected to enroll in the Utah Schools for the Deaf and the Blind.
“As a family, we are grateful for the generous support of the people of Utah, and others who have learned of Sha Reh’s story. These funds, and others that we know are forthcoming, will help
with current and future known and unknown medical needs, and will also enable him to fulfill his dreams and live his life with purpose,” the family said.
A *GoFundMe has been created to help support Sha Reh.
Contributing: Garna Mejia, KSL TV
*KSL TV does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
