An Indiana mother faces prison following the shooting death of her 17-year-old daughter. Tia Antoinette Holmes, 38, allegedly shot and killed Tianna Holmes inside a residence in Anderson on December 28, 2025. Holmes claimed she heard something at the windows in the early morning and believed it was her ex-husband, whom she had a restraining order against. Around 5 a.m., Holmes reportedly shot toward a shadow in the bathroom attached to her bedroom. Tragically, the bullet hit her teen daughter, killing her. According to court documents, the victim’s brother told police a disturbing story about his mother’s paranoid behavior.
Holmes got a protective order against her ex in July 2025 after he reportedly left sticky notes on her car and garage, WRTV reported. Her son told police his mother regularly carried a gun in the house. The boy told investigators Holmes “is schizo and she has been seeing shadows for years.”
A friend staying at the home the night of the fatal shooting told investigators Holmes drank whiskey and smoked marijuana. The friend corroborated the son’s story about her paranoia and complaints about seeing shadows.
“Oh my god I didn’t know it was her, I thought he was trying to get in here,” Holmes reportedly said after the shooting, per WRTV. “I didn’t mean to do it, I thought it was him trying to break into the bathroom.”
Emergency responders took Tianna to the hospital, where she later died because of a gunshot wound to the chest. They took her mother to a hospital for sedation following the shooting. Holmes spent time in the Anderson Center for psychological evaluation before police took custody of her.
Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings told the news outlet he didn’t think Holmes had malicious intent. He reminded residents to practice gun safety.
“Be careful. Protect yourself, but please be careful. I mean, there’s no way to pull that bullet back once you pull the trigger, and you just have to be very careful,” Cummings said.
Holmes’ friend, Rebecca Wright, shared a photo on social media of the mother and daughter at her home during happier times and said the story broke her heart.
“Tia Holmes was a good mother who tried with all she had to raise up her son and daughter alone. With help from her Mother. My heart just hurts for her. Keep your head up Tia Holmes. God will meet you in this mess,” she wrote on Facebook.
Holmes was booked on charges of reckless homicide, neglect of a dependent, and neglect of a dependent with serious injury, according to jail records. A judge set her bond at $250,000.
It sounds like this was a horrible accident, but sometimes even accidents have serious consequences.
