Kinzley Smerer was getting ready for school on September 11, 2025, when her father walked up to her and said the words she says she will never forget.
"Good morning."
Then he shot her in the throat with a .380 caliber handgun. Her brother, Kayleb Smerer, 17, was already dead on the couch—his backpack still on, ready for school. Their other sibling, Bentley Smerer, 13, had been blasted while still underneath a blanket, his phone's glow illuminating him.
"He shot us for no reason," Kinzley told the court Monday at her father's sentencing. "He killed one of his kids on the couch. He went right behind him and shot him in the head."
Jeffrey Smerer, 44, of Port Huron, Michigan, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole after pleading guilty to one count of open murder, two counts of assault with intent to commit murder, two counts of first-degree child abuse, and five counts of felony firearm use.
Background
Court documents and testimony revealed Smerer had been planning a murder-suicide for an entire week before the attack. He told investigators he was stressed about an indecent exposure conviction from 2020 and believed he might be going to jail after being sentenced on that charge.
"His reason was that he was closest to Kinzley and Kayleb," a detective testified during a preliminary hearing, explaining Smerer's rationale for targeting his children. "He also said that Kinzley was close to Bentley."
The plan, according to police, was to take Kinzley, Bentley, and Kayleb with him before turning the gun on himself.
On the morning of the shooting, Smerer first sliced his wrist open and took multiple forms of medication he had stashed in the family's master bedroom. Despite these attempts to harm himself, authorities said he remained functional enough to carry out the attack on his children.
The 19-year-old sibling—who was not targeted because he was awake at the time—told the court that Kayleb had been their father's favorite child, making the killing even more shocking.
"He just woke up like every other morning, got ready for school, watched his TikTok, doing whatever," the older brother testified. "He was on the couch with his backpack on waiting for him to take them to school, and he was able to go up to him, point a gun at him, and pull the trigger."
The Charges
Smerer used a .380 handgun to shoot all three children before attempting to turn the weapon on himself. When his pistol jammed during that attempt, his wife and their 19-year-old son intervened, disarming him.
Prosecutors said Smerer's five felony firearm charges carry mandatory consecutive sentences of up to two years each—time that must be served in addition to his life term. His guilty plea to open murder and assault with intent to commit murder avoided a trial that the judge acknowledged would have been "very lengthy, very emotional, very difficult."
"Nothing that can be said today diminishes the horror of what occurred on September 11, 2025," Smerer's defense attorney told the court. "One child lost his life. Two children suffered catastrophic injuries, one of whom may live the remainder of her life confined to a wheelchair. A family has been forever shattered."
The attorney noted that Smerer "never attempted to blame anyone else" and "plainly acknowledged" shooting his children in statements to police.
"Your honor, this is without question the most difficult sentencing hearing I have participated in," the defense lawyer said.
Key Takeaways
- Jeffrey Smerer was sentenced to life in prison without parole for killing 17-year-old Kayleb Smerer and shooting his two other children with a .380 handgun
- The attack occurred September 11, 2025, as the children were preparing for school; Kinzley said her father greeted her with 'Good morning' before shooting her in the throat
- Bentley told the court he was shot while under a blanket looking at his phone; police said Smerer "aimed towards the glow"
- Smerer had planned the murder-suicide for a week, motivated by stress over an indecent exposure conviction from 2020
- His pistol jammed when attempting suicide and he was disarmed by his wife and 19-year-old son who were awake at the time
- Kinzley may spend her life in a wheelchair; Bentley told his father: "You deserve everything coming to you."
What's Next
Smerer will serve his life sentence in Michigan state prison. The two surviving children continue their recovery from critical injuries sustained in the attack.
The family's attorney indicated Kinzley faces significant long-term medical challenges following the shooting that paralyzed her, while Bentley is expected to recover from facial wounds he suffered during the attack.