'SHE WAS AN INCREDIBLE MOM': Man defends wife who shot four daughters, then herself

Article content

A woman in Wyoming reportedly shot her four daughters, killing three of them, then called 911 to report what she had done before turning the gun on herself.

Tranyelle Harshman, 32, told the dispatcher on Monday afternoon that she was “reporting gunshots that occurred inside her home,” and that her daughters had been shot, Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office said in a press release.

She relayed on the call that she believed her children were dead and said that two of them would be found upstairs in their cribs and the other two would be located in a downstairs bedroom, police said.

Harshman then told the dispatcher that she “could be found in her upstairs bedroom and that she was going to do the same to herself,” according to the release.

Despite the 911 operator’s pleas to remain on the line, the call was disconnected.

Officers arrived to the Byron, Wyoming home and found a two-year-old and nine-year-old dead, while a seven-year-old and another two-year-old were found alive.

All four had been shot in the head.

The two-year-old later died at the scene, while the seven-year-old girl was taken to local hospital, then airlifted to another facility, KTVQ reported.

Harshman, who suffered a single gunshot wound to the head, was also found alive but she died in hospital from her injuries.

RECOMMENDED VIDEO

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

Try refreshing your browser, or
tap here to see other videos from our team.

Play Video

Two grieving fathers — Traneylle’s husband, Cliff Harshman, father of the two-year-olds, Brooke and Jordan; and Quinn Blackmer, dad of the older girls, Brailey and Olivia — are left struggling to process the unimaginable.

“I’m so angry. I don’t even know how to explain this to you. I’m so angry with her for the decision that was made,” Cliff told the outlet.

But he urged the public not to rush to judgment, revealing that Tranyelle had been battling and being treated for post-traumatic stress disorder, post-partum depression and general depression.

“People don’t understand how mental illness isn’t just a willpower thing. It’s chemical imbalances in your brain. It’s damaged pathways in your brain,” he said.

“She was an incredible mom and she loved those kids.”

Blackmer, meanwhile, told the outlet he is “furious” but “trying my hardest to bury that for a while and to focus on the now, because that anger isn’t going to bring my child back.”

The dad said he has barely left daughter Olivia’s side, since she was placed in a longer-term coma to help alleviate swelling in her brain, while mourning the loss of eldest daughter Brailey.

Friends who knew Tranyelle also said she had been struggling with her mental health.

“You never know what someone is struggling with inside of their mind. Tranyelle was not the monster this tragedy makes her seem to be,” Briana Baker told the outlet.

“Her loved ones don’t want her to be remembered for her darkest moments,” Baker added. “She was sweet, loving, and funny. Her children were her main focus in life.”

GoFundMe pages have been launched for the two fathers to try and help support them financially.

As of press time, the fundraiser for Harshman is almost at its $100,000 goal while Blackmer’s page has received more than $70,000 in donations.