St. Clair County Sheriff's Office
After allegedly shooting three of his children -- killing one and seriously injuring the other two -- a fourth child and the man's wife disarmed him as he attempted to take his own life.
A Michigan man accused of shooting three of his children, killing one, will stand trial -- as details of the horrific crime were laid out in court on Tuesday.
Jeffery Smerer, 44, has been charged with open murder, two counts of assault with intent to murder, two counts of first-degree child abuse, and five counts of felony firearm over an incident at his family's Port Huron apartment on September 11, per FOX 2. He was denied bail and ordered to stay away from his surviving children.
In court yesterday for a preliminary hearing, Detective Grafton Sharp with the Port Huron Police Department laid out a terrifying timeline of events, as relayed to authorities by Smerer himself.
Details of the Shooting
According to Sharp, via Law&Crime, Smerer told police he was "stressed due to the sentencing on his court case" for an indecent exposure charge from 2020 he pleaded guilty to earlier this year. He allegedly admitted he believed he "might be going to jail," and that's what he was thinking about before the shooting.
Smerer allegedly said he had been thinking about the attack for "approximately a week" beforehand, ultimately deciding to "take" 17-year-old son Kayleb, 13-year-old son Bentley and 12-year-old daughter Kinzley "with him and then shoot himself." As for why he targeted those three, Sharp said he told police "his reason was that he was closest to Kinzley and Kayleb" and that "Kinzley was close to Bentley."
On the day of the incident, Sharp said Smerer told police he woke up, grabbed his pistol from a gun safe under his bed and woke up Kinzley and Bentley in their bedroom, saying "good morning" before going into the bathroom. "He talked to himself in the mirror, questioning himself if he was really going to do this," Sharp testified.
Man Who Dismembered Wife Over Weight Sent Confession Email to Dad, Who Didn't Know He Was Married: Cops
View StoryThen, per police, he went back to the kid's bedroom and started shooting -- with Bentley under a blanket on his phone at the time. "He was aiming towards the glow," said Sharp, who said Smerer told police he then fired at Kinzley as she got up, aiming at her throat. Kayleb was on the living room couch, where Smerer then allegedly shot him in the head.
At some point, he allegedly told police he cut his own wrist and took "multiple forms of medication," but was unable to shoot himself because his gun "jammed." Another of his adult children and his wife, who were also both home at the time, then allegedly disarmed him.
Kayleb died from his injuries, while the other two siblings were hospitalized. Bentley reportedly suffered facial fractures, while Kinzley had a bullet lodged in her spine. Earlier this month, family members told FOX 2 she was expected to be paralyzed from the neck down.
Smerer's attorney reportedly cited a history of mental health concerns.
If you or someone you know needs help with mental health text “STRENGTH” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor.
If you or someone you know needs help, call 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, text HOME to 741741, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.
