4 found dead in burning Kearns house

KEARNS — Residents of a quiet neighborhood near 5570 West and 5700 South were frantic to help a family whose house was on fire about 11:30 a.m. Sunday.

A group of men and boys ran to each door and window and knocked loudly as smoke poured from upstairs vents and fire alarms shrieked, said Jennifer Schickling, who watched from a nearby cul-de-sac. But there was no response.

Meanwhile, other residents called for emergency help, and within six minutes firefighters and Salt Lake County Sheriff's Office personnel were on the scene.

Firefighters broke into the locked home and ran to a rear bedroom to begin dousing the fire.

The flames were quickly subdued, but the neighbors who had tried to save the family were left watching and waiting concerning the fate of the family as investigators and detectives poured into the neighborhood.

Around 3 p.m., the neighbors who called for help learned that four dead bodies had been found inside the home.

Police believe the bodies are those of 40-year-old Sharon Al-Shimmary and her children Ashley, 9, Christopher, 7, and Heather, 2.

"We're just devastated," Schickling said, who was standing with a group of local children. "We're sad and shocked."

Firefighters stumbled upon the first body while the fire was still raging, said Salt Lake County Sheriff's Lt. Paul Jaroscak. They found the other three bodies during routine searches of the burned area after the fire was out.

When sheriff's officials were told about the bodies, they asked firefighters to leave the home until a search warrant could be obtained. Investigators are approaching the incident as a possible homicide and arson and wanted to ensure that any evidence found inside the home could be used in court.

Investigators arrived, and the neighborhood was soon flooded with detectives and arson experts from the fire department.

By about 4 p.m., having secured a search warrant, the teams were back inside trying to learn more about the deaths.

All the bodies were found in an upstairs bedroom at the rear of the home. Two were on a bed and two were on the floor, Jaroscak said.

"Our main concern is to look closely around the bodies, then spread out," Jaroscak said. "We are looking for anything that would lead us to understand how and why these deaths occurred."