Michigan Dad Shoots 3 Kids, Killing 1, Because He Was ‘Stressed’ Over Indecent Exposure Sentencing

by KC Wildmoon October 1, 2025 Share Tweet

A Michigan father was bound over for trial last week after gunning down his teen son and wounding two of the boy’s siblings.

Jeffrey Smerer, 44, slashed his wrist and took “multiple forms of medication” after shooting 17-year-old Kayleb Smerer, 13-year-old Bentley Smerer, and 12-year-old Kinzley Smerer on September 11, police said at a preliminary hearing, Law&Crime reported.

All three children were taken to the hospital, where Kayleb died. The other two were critically injured.

A police detective testified that Smerer told investigators he planned the attack for a week before carrying it out on the day he was to be sentenced after pleading guilty to an indecent exposure charge. Detective Grafton Sharp said that Smerer told them he was “stressed due to the sentencing on his court case” and decided on a murder-suicide as the way to go.

He said he chose Kinzley and Kayleb because he was closest with them, adding that Kinzley was close with Bentley. The plan was “to take Kinzley, Bentley, and Kayleb with him and then shoot himself,” Sharp said.

Sharp said Smerer told investigators he got up around 6 a.m. that morning and took his .380 from a gunsafe, then went into Kinzley and Bentley’s bedroom, told them “good morning,” and then went into the bathroom to h talk himself into going through with the murders in the mirror.

Then he came back into the bedroom and started shooting. Then he went to the living room, where Kayleb was sitting on a couch, and shot him in the head.

Smerer claimed his gun “jammed” when he tried to shoot himself, so he slashed his wrist. His wife and 19-year-old son responded to the gunshots and disarmed him.

Family members told WXYZ that Bentley suffered facial fractures in the shooting and his sister Kinzley had a bullet lodged in her spine and is now paralyzed from the neck down. She also had reconstructive facial surgery.

The judge last week denied bond for Smerer and ordered him to have no contact with his surviving children.

For the latest true crime and justice news, subscribe to the ‘Crime Stories with Nancy Grace’ podcast.

[Featured image: Jeffrey Smerer/WDIV screenshot]

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Taylor Sheridan’s ‘Mayor of Kingstown’ Gave Ex-Convict Extras Panic Attacks, Caused Hospitalizations

Taylor Sheridan made shocking revelations about how several ex-convicts had to be taken to the hospital after their time on the set of Mayor of Kingstown.

“There is a scene in episode 3 of the first season where a man is arrested for killing a child. It actually is a parole violation so the guy doesn’t go to county, he goes straight back to prison immediately,” Sheridan, 56, recalled on the Monday, June 29, episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast” show. “And when he comes in, there’s this frenzy because … there’s a bullseye on this guy [in prison].”

Sheridan recalled filming the intense sequence in a “decommissioned” prison.

“After the first take, I start hearing buzz over the radio, ‘We need a medic. Actually we need two medics.’ And I run upstairs to see what happened,” he continued. “Why do we need a medic? Did someone have a heart attack? And most of the extras in this scene were ex-cons who had actually stayed in this prison, which is empty [now].”

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The creator realized that the experience was triggering for some of the extras, adding, “Of course, we’re paying a few hundred bucks a day to these guys and there’s not any work because it’s COVID and so they jumped at it.”

“Two of them had panic attacks that were so bad that they had to go to the hospital,” he said. “Then there was a third one who [when] we closed them in and locked them in the cells, this guy starts screaming, ‘You gotta let me out, I can’t do this.'”

Sheridan continued, “We let him out and he starts taking off. He’s like, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t. You don’t have to pay me.’ I said, ‘No, no, no. For what I just put you through, we’re gonna pay you.’ They left and they were done. They wanted absolutely no part of even reenacting it.”

The Mayor of Kingstown is one of Sheridan’s many successful shows. Sheridan originally explored a career as an actor before writing scripts for movies, including Sicario, Hell or High Water and Wind River.

Sheridan’s focus later shifted to the small screen, which paved the way for Yellowstone‘s success. The hit series aired from 2018 to 2024 as viewers tuned in to keep tabs on the fictional Dutton family. Sheridan has also worked on original shows Landman, Lioness and Tulsa King.

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Taylor Sheridan‘s TV universe has found immense success — but his projects have also come with many showrunner changes. After getting his start as an actor, Sheridan started writing scripts for movies. He began his TV empire with Yellowstone, which aired from 2018 to 2024. Sheridan then created prequels 1883 and 1923, as well as […]

News broke in October 2025 that Sheridan closed a major with NBCUniversal. The five-year overall deal for film, TV and streaming will begin January 1, 2029, after Sheridan’s TV deal with Paramount — which goes through 2028 — officially ends.

Paramount will retain the rights to Yellowstone and the other franchises Sheridan created under his deal with the company, so he is expected to create a brand new IP for NBCUniversal. Sheridan’s move came after Paramount’s merger with Skydance.

“I spent the first 37 years of my life compromising. When I quit acting, I decided that I am going to tell my stories my way, period,” Sheridan told The Hollywood Reporter in a 2023 profile. “If you don’t want me to tell them, fine. Give them back and I’ll find someone who does — or I won’t, and then I’ll read them in some freaking dinner theater. But I won’t compromise. There is no compromising.”

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Border Patrol makes huge bust of illegals hiding in plain sight

Southern California Border Patrol busts 2 human smuggling ops

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Border Patrol makes huge bust of illegals hiding in plain sight

By Nina Joudeh Published June 30, 2026, 5:45 p.m. ET

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Border Patrol agents intercepted two separate human smuggling operations in Southern California after uncovering dozens of undocumented immigrants being transported in vehicles, including nearly 30 people hidden inside a dump trailer.

The two incidents unfolded in Westmorland within the El Centro Sector, where agents first stopped a Chevy Tahoe carrying seven undocumented immigrants.

An aerial view of people sitting in a line along a dirt canal with law enforcement officers and vehicles nearby. — California Border Control gents discovered 27 undocumented migrants concealed inside a mini bottom dump trailer.

In a separate bust, agents discovered 27 undocumented migrants concealed inside a mini bottom dump trailer in what officials described as a dangerous smuggling attempt.

In total, Border Patrol agents apprehended 34 illegal immigrants across the two operations and halted both smuggling attempts.

Border Patrol agents stop a dump truck concealing people and a Chevrolet Tahoe during a smuggling event. — Agents first stopped a Chevy Tahoe carrying seven undocumented migrants in Westmorland. Facebook/@USBPChiefELC

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Officials said the back-to-back busts marked “another bad day for smugglers” in the El Centro Sector. Getty Images

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection building entrance. — In total, Border Patrol agents apprehended 34 undocumented migrants across the two operations. Getty Images

Officials said the back-to-back busts marked “another bad day for smugglers” in the El Centro Sector, adding that the operations highlight ongoing efforts to combat human smuggling along the southern border.

No injuries were reported.

At the same time, Border Patrol took to Instagram, sending out a public warning for all to see:

“If you are here illegally, we will find you, we will arrest you, and we will remove you from the United States. It is not a matter of if, but when.”

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California Border Control gents discovered 27 undocumented migrants concealed inside a mini bottom dump trailer.

Agents first stopped a Chevy Tahoe carrying seven undocumented migrants in Westmorland. Facebook/@USBPChiefELC

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Massive NYC pool shuttered for repairs – for second year in a row – amid extreme heat wave

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Massive NYC pool shuttered for repairs – for second year in a row – amid extreme heat wave

By Georgett Roberts and Nicole Rosenthal Published June 30, 2026, 5:33 p.m. ET

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One of the city’s largest pools will be closed during this week’s scorching heat wave and for most of next month because of “unforeseen” mechanical issues – the second straight year the aging community “lifeline” has suffered a shutdown.

The popular Red Hook Pool, among five Olympic-sized tubs in Brooklyn, did not open to the public during the citywide outdoor pool opening day Saturday “due to the sudden, unforeseen failure of mechanical equipment,” city Parks Department reps said.

The front entrance of the Sol Goldman Recreation Center &amp;amp; Pool at Red Hook Park. — Red Hook Pool remains closed “due to the sudden, unforeseen failure of mechanical equipment,” NYC Parks said. Gregory P. Mango for NY Post

The nearly century-old summer oasis won’t be open for most of July, either, joining several pools citywide that remain closed at the onset of the season, the department said.

Among the other shut city pools is the supposed back-up that Red Hook families are being directed to on the NYC Parks’ website as an alternative to their own closed site.

“It’s very disappointing,” said Red Hook mom Karin-Jolie Rosado. “We waited all year for this.

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“It was closed last summer, and then this summer there are still issues,” she said of the local pool. “They should have resolved the issues by now.”

Her 8-year-old daughter Loretta said, “It’s really sad because we don’t have anywhere else to swim.”

The opening of Red Hook’s 90-year-old pool complex was delayed until August last year because of a broken decades-old pipe, according to The City Reporter.

This year’s delay was blamed on a flooded filter plant beneath the pool, which damaged motors and other equipment, a Parks rep said — adding that the discovery was only made four days before opening day.

A woman and three children, including a baby in a stroller, pose outdoors. — “It’s very disappointing,” said Red Hook mom Karin-Jolie Rosado, here with children Loretta, 8, Eleanor, 6, and Amir, 4. Gregory P. Mango for NY Post

“This could’ve been avoided,” said Adam Ganser, executive director of the advocacy group New Yorkers For Parks, who called the matter “at its purest form, a staffing issue.”

The policy group noted that an estimated 50 plumbers on Parks’ payroll is far below the number needed to maintain the city’s 1,700 parks and playgrounds.

The group is now renewing calls for the agency to fund an additional 150 tradespeople to keep up with its aging infrastructure.

Ganser called the pool a “lifeline” for city dwellers, especially ahead of the summer’s first “heat dome” situation and triple-digit temperatures expected later this week.

“The water is something that gives the kids a safe activity to do during a heat wave,” Rosado said. “Otherwise, they are stuck at home.”

A security guard stands outside the closed Red Hook Pool, where signs explain the temporary closure due to mechanical failure. — “The water is something that gives the kids a safe activity to do during a heat wave,” Rosado said. Gregory P. Mango for NY Post

The pool is one of several sites closed for unplanned maintenance as of Tuesday afternoon, Parks said, while two other pools are under construction for long-term capital improvements.

Claremont Pool in The Bronx is shuttered because of mechanical issues, and the Doulgass and DeGraw Pool in Gowanus – the city-touted Red Hook Pool alternative – is also closed because of a “category 2 water quality issue.”

“Pools generally experience temporary closures for a variety of reasons: mechanical, sanitary, weather, etc.,” a Parks rep told The Post.

“Many of our pools are celebrating their 90th year in use this season, including Red Hook Pool,” the rep said, noting that, “to ensure that Red Hook Pool can continue to serve New Yorkers for generations,” the site has been earmarked for a $122 million renovation project set to begin in 2028.

A partially filled empty swimming pool with yellow bottom and blue walls with stairs and railings. — The opening of the 90-year-old Red Hook Pool complex was also delayed last year because of a broken decades-old pipe. Gregory P. Mango for NY Post

Aside from 53 free outdoor pools, the Parks system also touts an array of splash pads to beat the summer heat.

But the cooling features are facing “outages” in record numbers, a Post investigation recently found, with Parks reps blaming last winter’s severe weather combined with “very few staff resources for repairs.”

The news comes as the city’s new budget paves the way for a new Parks “Renew Crew” pilot program — which is funded through 2027 — set to make “quick targeted improvements” for playgrounds, courts, fields and other green spaces.

Still, Ganser argues the city must still invest in full-time tradespeople to keep the city’s green spaces up and running.

“A lot of this is highly sophisticated mechanical equipment or plumbing, and you need professionals on staff to ensure that everything is is is in good, operable condition,” Ganser said.

“This begs a larger question, which is why doesn’t the agency have the staffing it needs to take care of these issues, which are occurring every single year.”

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