Michael Raymond Wetzel – husband and father of six children, ages ranging from 1 to 14 – was among the victims of Wednesday’s San Bernardino mass shooting.

And in the aftermath of the tragedy, his wife, Renee, said his family “will never be the same.”

On the day the tragedy unfolded before a shocked Inland region, Renee Wetzel wrote a group called the Lil’ Mamas: “Please pray. My husband was in a meeting and a shooter came in. There are multiple people dead/shot. I can’t get a hold of him.”

And she never did.

According to a fundraising post on youcaring.com, which is handling donations, about 8 hours later she received word that her husband was among the 14 who were slain.

“We are heartbroken for the Wetzel family and determined to help our Mama Renee in any way we can,” wrote “The Mamas,” on the fundraising website.

As of 9 p.m. Thursday, the group’s fundraising exercise had netted more than $170,000.

“How incredibly tragic,” wrote Shelley Spratt, who is friends with a close friend of Renee Wetzel’s, on her Facebook page. “Michael was shot and killed in the San Bernardino shooting yesterday and leaves behind his wife and 6 young children. This family, along with many others, need all the support we can give them.”

Wetzel was 37 and lived in Lake Arrowhead. He was employed as a supervising environmental health specialist for San Bernardino County.

He attended the Church of the Woods in Lake Arrowhead, according to Pastor Rod Akins.

“Michael’s been a great part of our church family and he’s going to be deeply missed,” Akins said by telephone.

The church posted a statement from Renee Wetzel: “Michael was the most amazing person. He was my best friend and an incredible father who was loved by all. … He loved his work and his family so very much. Without him, this family will never be the same.”

According to the website, the children are Andrew, 14, Kailee, 12, Caden, 8, who are from his previous marriage to Amy Wetzel, as well as Connor, 8, Karlie, 5, Allie, 1.

The church said it helped to arrange meals and donations, and stayed open day and night Thursday for those wanting to come pray for the family.

Earlier on, Michael Wetzel attended Cal State San Bernardino, graduating in 2001, according to a friend.

Brian Walker, now an insurance agent living in Menifee, said the two men belonged to the same fraternity: Sigma Phi Epsilon.

“I was responsible for bringing him into the fraternity,” Walker said in a telephone interview. “We had a class together and he sat in front of me. And I invited him to an event.”

Walker said Wetzel joined right away.

“We called him Clark Kent. If you saw pictures of him, you’d know why,” Walker said, calling his friend a tall, thin man with a striking chin who wore glasses then.

Wetzel was a good athlete, he said, playing goalie on the fraternity’s soccer team in campus competitions. Walker said Wetzel was known for his ability to anticipate where the ball was going and make diving saves.

“He owned that circle,” Walker said.

Paul Chabot, a Republican candidate for a congressional seat in San Bernardino County, was a counselor at the fraternity at the time. Chabot said Wetzel developed into a leader while at college.

“He really cared about the community and community service,” Chabot said. “He left the world as a supervisor managing people. And I would say to him, ‘Well done, brother.'”



MORE COVERAGE:

THE VICTIMS: More profiles of those killed

THURSDAY: Latest developments on the investigation

SPECIAL REPORT: Complete coverage of the San Bernardino shooting