WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah (KUTV) — There’s been a common theme among residents of a West Valley City neighborhood when they describe a family that was found shot inside their home, five of the six of them dead, including young kids.
The family, whose names have not yet been publicly confirmed by the West Valley City Police Department, was what amounted to the perfect neighbor.
Or as one resident told KUTV, they were “the kind of neighbors you wanted to have” because “they didn’t get in your business.”
Most of those living near the home where the tragedy was discovered on Tuesday, said they never really got to know the family, though they saw them coming and going and occasionally hanging out in the front yard.
They generally kept to themselves and weren’t in anyone’s way. The neighbors who’ve spoken to KUTV so far are unanimous in their assessment that they didn’t cause problems.
They were “so quiet” and “a very nice family,” said neighbor German deCasa, who stopped by the home Wednesday to leave a poinsettia on the home’s front porch, along with several prayer candles.
He said he see the father playing with the kids in the yard often, and the mother would walk her kids to school.
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However, one neighbor, who didn’t want to speak on camera, said she was a little surprised to hear the details of the situation.
A family member had called West Valley City PD to do a welfare check on Monday after they didn’t respond to attempts to contact them, police said. Officers checked out the home, but did not going inside because there were no obvious signs of a crime or emergency. On Tuesday, when one of the adults living in the home failed to show up to work, the family member went to the residence and entered the home’s garage. Inside was the family’s 17-year-old son, wounded by a gunshot.
In the house, the rest of the family was dead. They had all been shot, police said.
Hearing that the family had a teenage son was news to a neighbor who lives adjacent to the home. She said she knew the family had three younger kid — an 11-year-old boy and two girls, ages 9 and 2 — but had no idea they had an older brother.
deCasa echoed those sentiments, saying he didn’t know there was an older teen in the family. He said his grandson confirmed it, though, telling deCasa that the two go to the same school.
“I’ve never seen the kid who is 17 years old,” he said. “I don’t know what happened.”
“I am still in shock,” said neighbor Camille Panilla. “My heart is just very heavy.”
She said she was outside the home on Tuesday, with loved ones of the deceased, when police actions signaled the weight of what happened.
“They kind of took a few seconds and came out and immediately got the caution tape,” Panilla said.
People drove past the house on Wednesday, those who knew the dead, and those who did not.
“I wonder if she already had her Christmas (gifts) ready for her children,” said Amalia Momberger. “She probably did. That’s what us mothers do.”
The condition of the teen wasn’t known as of the most recent update to this report.
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If you or someone you know are experiencing domestic or dating violence, resources are available to help.
- If you or a loved one are in immediate danger, call 911.
- Call 211 to find a domestic shelter, counseling, substance abuse treatment, anger management or health and human resources
- Or find a domestic shelter, counseling, substance abuse treatment, anger management or health and human resources at Utah’s Health and Human Services website, dcfs.utah.gov
- Contact the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition hotline at 1-800-897-5465
- Contact The Utah-based Rape Recovery Center: 801-467-7273
- Contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233
- Chat with a live person at the National Domestic Violence Hotline by texting BEGIN to 88788
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