Utah College Freshman Who Survived Family Massacre by Dad Dies at 19

A 19-year-old Utah man who survived a devastating family murder-suicide in December 2024 has died unexpectedly just one week after beginning his freshman year of college, according to his extended family, as reported by The New York Post.

Sha Reh was found dead Sunday at his extended family’s home in Utah. His relatives confirmed his death through a GoFundMe page, stating that he died of natural causes. No further medical details were released.

Reh was the sole survivor of a murder-suicide carried out by his father in December 2024, an attack that claimed the lives of his mother, his two younger sisters—ages 8 and 2—and his 11-year-old brother.

At the time of the incident, Reh was 17 years old.

Police said Reh’s father fatally shot the rest of the family inside their home before turning the gun on himself. Reh was discovered in the garage with a gunshot wound to the head.

He survived the shooting but was permanently blinded as a result of the injury.

A heartbreaking update from the family of Sha Reh, the Granger High School student who survived a gunshot wound to the head during the murder suicide of his family.
In December 2024, West Valley City police said Reh and his mother and three siblings were shot by his father. Reh… pic.twitter.com/6Rn3F3lNrw

— Heidi Hatch KUTV (@tvheidihatch) January 12, 2026

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Despite the severity of his injuries and the trauma of losing his entire immediate family, Reh worked to rebuild his life.

His relatives said he learned to read and write in Braille while attending the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind and eventually reached a point where he could live independently again.

Reh was a first-generation college student and had recently been accepted to the University of Utah as a Presidential Scholar.

He began his freshman year just one week before his death. According to his family, he planned to major in pre-law and hoped to attend law school after completing his undergraduate studies.

In a statement shared by his family, relatives said they found comfort in their faith following his death.

Sha Reh, the only family member to survive a 2024 shooting in West Valley City that killed his parents and three siblings, died unexpectedly Sunday at age 19, according to his family.

Reh had been critically injured in the shooting but went on to graduate from high school, learn… pic.twitter.com/cmFNhaIL5Y

— KSL.com – Utah Breaking News (@KSLcom) January 12, 2026

“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,” the statement said.

Reh previously spoke publicly about his recovery and outlook on life. In a May 2025 interview with KSL, he said learning Braille came more easily than expected.

He explained that after his family emigrated to the United States from Myanmar several years earlier, he had to learn English from scratch, and he relied on similar strategies to master Braille.

After settling in Utah, Reh and his family were baptized into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He said his faith provided him with comfort and motivation as he adjusted to life after the shooting.

“I will be able to see my family again in the afterlife,” Reh told KSL.

“I strive to do good things in this world. I am very grateful and blessed to have this opportunity to be happy,” he said.

“I think my one major goal is to be happy and to make others happy.”

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