Friends, Community Step Up in the Wake of Tragedy

When Eli Grenier received a phone call from his friend Saturday morning, he wasn't prepared for the what he heard. The 16-year-old son of murder victim Saudina Mehovic simply told him, "I think my dad just killed my mom."

"We knew what had happened before the ambulance even arrived. It seemed like a bad joke," Grenier said Monday afternoon.

Saudina Mehovic, 37, died as a result of injuries suffered when her ex-husband Nurija Mehovic shot her and slashed her neck outside the boys' home at 47 West St., before retreating to the woods behind the house and shooting himself, .

Now Grenier and Southington High School classmates Ryan Perez, Ricardo Torres and Nick Ingel are coming together to provide even more support for their longtime friend— and they are finding support throughout the community.

The four boys, all of whom have spent considerable time alongside the Mehovic brothers during the past 72 hours, have organized two fundraisers for the family this week, including one that came together the day of the murder-suicide.

"We felt like we had to do something, find someway to help them out," said Grenier, 15, who has been close friends with the oldest brother since the two first met in fourth-grade. "We want to make sure they have a stable life."

Sitting together and talking about how they could help, the boys developed the idea to establish a trust fund for the two boys. The only question was how to get it started.

Within 24 hours of the incident, the boys contacted and set up a fundraiser that they advertised on Facebook. The event, which will be held from noon to 4 p.m. on Saturday, will include a tent for people to make donations, and Rita's has committed to giving 20 percent of all profits during that time to the trust fund.

They never anticipated the response it would get, however. By Monday night, nearly 1,500 people had already committed to attending, according to the Facebook page, including residents from New Haven to Massachusetts.

"Our hearts are full of love and prayers for the boys," wrote Laure-Jo Powell. "God bless you Ryan and your friends for putting this together, we will all be there. If you need a raffle prize I would be happy to donate from the store just let me or Nick know."

The help didn't stop there either. At the suggestion of others, the boys have now organized a second fundraiser — a pasta dinner at that was also advertised on Facebook — an event that already has 239 commitments.

The event will be held from 5-8 p.m. on Friday.

"It's the least we could do," Perez said Monday.

But support has come in other ways too. The entrance to the West Street home, which now lies quiet and vacant, has been transformed into a shrine honoring Saudina Mehovic. The doorway is decorated heavily with flowers and luminarias— a tribute to Mehovic's untimely end.

Friends and community members have extended their support through other means two, with Youtube videos in memory of Suadina Mehovic like the one created by TheGookstain shown above.

"It's been great to see. It's made us so happy just to know so many people are thinking of them," Grenier said. "It's helped them too."