At just 15 years old, Katen Atwell had her entire life ahead of her. She loved her family and her favorite color, blue. In the early morning hours of January 11, 2026, her parents thought Atwell was tucked safely in her bed. Little did they know that they would soon receive a call that would change their lives forever. Atwell wasn’t at home that night; instead, she and a friend, also 15 years old, had met up with 21-year-old Bryan Harbison. As the three sat in Harbison’s truck in an Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Lowe’s parking lot, Atwell’s unnamed friend reportedly shot her in the chest.
Harbison tried to save Atwell, but the staff declared her dead at an area hospital a short time later. Elizabethtown Police Department Public Affairs Officer Chris Denham addressed the media with details about Atwell’s death, WKYT reported. According to Denham, Harbison told investigators he’d met Katen and her friend on Snapchat. They planned to meet up that evening, and he admitted to buying alcohol for the girls. Harbison denied knowing Atwell’s age and told police he thought the girls were 18.
Harbison told investigators he and Atwell were in the back seat when the shooting occurred. The 15-year-old suspect told police she picked up the gun from the car’s console, and Harbison told her it was not loaded, according to WKYT. The 21-year-old told police something different. Harbison said he stored the gun in the glove compartment and the teen took it without his knowledge.
“Obviously, this is terribly tragic. As I said, our most sincere thoughts and prayers go out,” Denham said. “A lot of lives are devastated and ruined. I can’t imagine, from a parent’s standpoint, what it would be like to lose a 15-year-old child.”
Police arrested the suspect, who has been charged with murder, the outlet reported. Prosecutors charged Harbison with wanton endangerment and unlawful transaction with a minor.
One of Atwell’s sisters told WLKY the teenager’s death broke the family’s hearts. “Katen loved her family. She was a great younger sister. She loved country stuff, big trucks. Her nieces and nephews,” the sister shared. “She meant everything to us and our hearts are shattered forever.”
Hardin County Schools encouraged students to speak up if they needed to talk about the tragic shooting.
“We ask our community, families, students, and staff to keep Katen’s family in their thoughts during the difficult days, weeks, and months ahead,” the district shared on Facebook. “HCS counselors are available to support students through their grief and will remain accessible for as long as needed.”
Life used to be so much simpler without the dangers of the internet and social media. For the sake of our youth, we wish we could just go back.
