A Wyoming mom reportedly murdered three of her four daughters by shooting them all in the head. The mom then turned the gun on herself, but not before calling 911. By the time police officers arrived, it was unfortunately too late to keep her from shooting herself. The investigation is ongoing, but murder-suicide is presumed.
Now, her community and those close to her are trying to figure out why the mom killed herself and her children. Her only surviving daughter is now in critical condition after undergoing life-saving surgery, but it’s still unknown what the damage has done to her brain.
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Tranyelle Harshman, 32, shot her four daughters, ages 9, 7, and 2, in their heads on Monday, February 10, 2025, Harshman’s sister Savannah Rose confirmed to MTN News. The woman lived with her daughters (two from a previous relationship) and her husband, in Byron, Wyoming.
The Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office issued a press release with additional information, the outlet reported. 911 received a call from a woman around 1:30 p.m. claiming she had heard gunshots in the home. The woman, who turned out to be Harshman, “further reported her daughters had been shot.” She told the dispatcher that she feared the girls were already dead.
The woman told the dispatcher where the girls would be located: two in their cribs in the upstairs bedroom, and two in the downstairs bedroom they shared. She then alerted the dispatcher that she could be found in her upstairs bedroom, and that she was going to shoot herself.
“The dispatcher pleaded with the female caller over the phone for the female caller to remain on the line until responding suits arrived,” the press release reads. “The female caller stated multiple times that she could not do that and that it was too late. Multiple attempts to keep her on the line failed and the call was disconnected.”
Police immediately responded to the call and arrived quickly. The 9-year-old girl and one of the 2-year-old girls were dead when they got into the house. The other 2-year-old “succumbed a very short time later due to the extent of her injuries.” The mom and her 7-year-old daughter were still alive and taken to North Big Horn Hospital.
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The 7-year-old, named Olivia, was then airlifted to a hospital in Salt Lake City. Tranyelle Harshman died from her injuries on Tuesday, February 11.
“I need the world praying for my baby,” Quinn Blackmer, father of Olivia and her older sister Brailey, told Cowboy State Daily. He added: “I need her to pull through. I don’t have my [older] daughter anymore and this is all I have left.” He went on to call Olivia a “sassy redheaded little baby,” adding “She’s got spunk and she’s a fighter.”
A GoFundMe has been started to help Blackmer with the costs related to Olivia’s recovery.
While the details as to why the mom murdered her daughters and took her own life are still emerging, outlets are calling it a murder-suicide. Those close to Harshman claim she has dealt with mental health struggles in the past.
“I did worry that something bad would happen in the future,” Blackmer said. “But I had no idea — I could never imagine this.” He told Cowboy State Daily that he had been fighting for full custody of Brailey and Olivia since he and Harshman divorced about four years ago.
Briana Baker, a longtime friend of Harshman’s, told MTN News that she suspected the woman was going through postpartum depression.
“You never know what someone is struggling with inside of their mind. Tranyelle was not the monster this tragedy makes her seem to be. Her loved ones don’t want her to be remembered for her darkest moments. She was sweet, loving, and funny. Her children were her main focus in life,” the woman said.
A GoFundMe has also been started for Harshman’s husband, Cliff Harshman, to bury his wife and two daughters.
Note: If you or any of your loved ones are struggling with suicidal thoughts, you can always reach out to the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling 988. They are available 24/7 by phone or online chat.
