Wyoming mother shoots 4 daughters, killing 3, before turning gun on herself

BYRON, Wyoming — A 32-year-old woman shot her four daughters in their Wyoming home, killing three of them and then turned the gun on herself Monday after first calling the police.

The father and stepmother of two of the children live in American Fork, according to family.

Dispatchers received a call around 1:30 p.m. Monday from a woman who "reported her daughters had been shot," and she believed them to be dead, according to a press release sent Tuesday by the Big Horn County Sheriff's Office.

The woman told dispatchers "two children would be located upstairs in their cribs and two children would be located downstairs in their shared bedroom" in Byron, Wyoming, the sheriff's office said, and "she could be found in her upstairs bedroom and that she was going to do the same to herself."

The dispatcher "pleaded with the female caller over the phone ... to remain on the line until responding units arrived," but the woman "stated multiple times that she could not do that and that it was too late," according to the release. Despite "multiple attempts to keep her on the line," the call was disconnected.

Law enforcement arrived within minutes, made entry into the come, and found four children — ages 9, 7, 2 and 2 — with gunshot wounds to the head, the sheriff's office reported. The mother was also found with a single gunshot wound to the head.

Three of the victims showed signs of life, including one of the 2-year-olds. But that child died soon after contact. The 7-year-old was flown to Billings, and later to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, where her status is unknown.

The girls' mother was also taken to a hospital, police said. Local news outlets reported the mother, Tranyelle Harshman, died in a hospital from her injuries Tuesday.

The biological father and stepmother of the two older children, 9-year-old Brailey and 7-year-old Olivia, live in American Fork, family members told KSL. The 2-year-olds who were killed are the older girls' half-sisters. Their names have not been released.

"Olivia has suffered severe traumatic brain injury and is fighting hard for her life! She is in critical condition; the next few days will be crucial for her outcome," a GoFundMe* account states. "We know Brailey is watching over her baby sister from the other side, helping her fight for her life!"

Two funding campaigns have been started for the Utah and Wyoming families of the girls.

*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.

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