Son, 19, who was sole survivor in father’s murder-suicide rampage dies unexpectedly week after starting college
- - Son, 19, who was sole survivor in father’s murder-suicide rampage dies unexpectedly week after starting college
Caitlin McCormackJanuary 13, 2026 at 11:57 AM
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A 19-year-old man who was the sole survivor in his father’s murder-suicide rampage, which claimed the lives of his parents and three younger siblings, died unexpectedly at his extended family’s Utah home just one week after starting his freshman year of college.
Sha Reh was 17 years old when police say his father killed his mother, his 8-year-old and 2-year-old sisters and his 11-year-old brother at their house in December 2024.
Reh was found in the garage with a gunshot wound to the head and miraculously survived, though he was permanently blinded as a result of the attack.
Sha Reh, 19, died of natural causes at his extended family’s home in Utah on Sunday. GoFundMe
His extended family confirmed his death in a GoFundMe. They wrote that he died of natural causes on Sunday.
His distraught loved ones said Reh persevered in the wake of his family’s murder and learned to communicate in Braille at the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind. He recently reached a point where he could “live independently” again.
Reh, a first-generation student, was accepted to the University of Utah as a Presidential Scholar and began his freshman year just one week before he died. He was set to major in pre-law, and dreamed of attending law school after completing his undergraduate education.
His surviving family said they found comfort in the thought of “his reunion with his family.”
“He was among those who were once blind, but now can see. He has a perfect vision of his and his family’s eternity, and his home is now with them. Caring for him and watching him grow and regain his independence has been a labor of love for our family,” they wrote in a statement.
In an interview with KSL in May 2025, Reh admitted that he didn’t necessarily struggle to pick up Braille.
Reh was 17 years old when police say his father killed his mother, his 8-year-old and 2-year-old sisters, and his 11-year-old brother at their house in December 2024. Gofundme
Reh was the sole survivor of a murder-suicide in December 2024. GoFundMe
Reh turned to his religion for comfort after his family was slaughtered and believed he would “be able to see [his] family again in the afterlife.” GoFundMe
When his family emigrated to the US from Myanmar a few years before that nation plunged into civil war, he had to learn English from scratch, and could use similar tactics to teach himself Braille.
Upon settling in Utah, his family was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Reh cited his faith as a source of lasting comfort and motivation, since he could rest easy knowing “I will be able to see my family again in the afterlife.”
“I strive to do good things in this world. I am very grateful and blessed to have this opportunity to be happy,” Reh told the outlet.
“I think my one major goal is to be happy and to make others happy,” he added.
Source: “AOL Breaking”
