PORT HURON, Mich. – Friends, neighbors and community members in Port Huron came together to show support for a family after a father was arrested, accused of shooting his own children.
The shooting happened Thursday morning at Glenview Gardens Apartments. The 44-year-old father is accused of shooting and killing his 17-year-old son, and injuring his 13-year-old son and 12-year-old daughter.
A GoFundMe has been started to help support the children’s mother, Brandi Smerer.
“She’s lost a lot,” said Brandi’s sister, Karrie Green. “She lost a child, she lost a husband, and she has a daughter that’s going to need her 24/7 now.”
Sunday evening a vigil was held at the apartment complex to help raise donations and show support for the family.
A memorial has been put up outside the apartment in honor of 17-year-old Kayleb Smerer. His family says he was getting ready to graduate from high school and start attending community college.
“Kayleb was Kayleb,” Green said. “He loved to be on his own, he loved playing his games, he loved Hot Wheels, classic cars, and Legos.”
Green said 13-year-old Bentley suffered facial fractures in the shooting but is making progress and could be released from the hospital as soon as Monday.
She said 12-year-old Kinzely, who had a passion for sports like volleyball and basketball, is now paralyzed from the neck down and on a ventilator.
The family has been raising money to buy a new house and van that are wheelchair accessible. Sunday, the family got a call from an anonymous donor offering to pay for their new home.
“It was just the most amazing phone call,” said Victoria Frazer, the children’s aunt. “It really was and when we got to the hospital and told Brandi, I mean she just broke down.”
“The amount of support that we are getting from everybody is amazing,” Green told those who came out to the vigil. “Everybody’s been so good to us.”