A tight-knit community in Byron, Wyoming, is grappling with a devastating tragedy that claimed the lives of three children.
Authorities believe that 32-year-old Tranyelle Harshman attempted to kill her children before taking her own life.
According to reports, Harshman shot four of her children, fatally wounding three, before turning the gun on herself.
At approximately 1:30 p.m. on Monday, February 10, a 911 call was made by a woman who reported gunshots inside her home and stated that her daughters had been shot.
The Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office released a statement saying, “When dispatchers inquired about the condition of the gunshot victims, the female caller stated that she believed they were deceased.”
She went on to explain that two of the children could be found upstairs in their cribs, while the other two were downstairs in their shared bedroom.
“The caller also stated that she was in her upstairs bedroom and intended to take her own life.”
Dispatchers attempted to keep Harshman on the line, but their efforts were unsuccessful.
When officers arrived at the home, they discovered her 2-year-old and 9-year-old daughters deceased.
A 7-year-old and another 2-year-old daughter were found alive, but tragically, the younger child succumbed to her injuries at the scene. According to PEOPLE, all four children had been shot in the head.
Harshman was discovered with a self-inflicted gunshot wound but was still alive when police arrived. She was transported to the hospital, where she later died from her injuries.
The surviving 7-year-old was initially treated at a local hospital with advanced life support before being airlifted to another facility for a higher level of care, according to the official release.
Earlier this week, Byron Mayor Allen Clark addressed the media, expressing the community’s deep sorrow.
“In a small town like this, everyone knows each other, it’s just devastating,” he said, as reported by The Scripps News Group.
“I just hope and pray that the family can endure and that brighter days are ahead. We don’t want to dwell on what has happened, but rather focus on what comes next.”
A GoFundMe page has been created to support Harshman’s husband, Cliff, who is also the father of the two youngest daughters.
Speaking to Cowboy State Daily, Cliff addressed the heartbreaking tragedy, emphasizing that his wife was not a monster. He revealed that she had been receiving treatment for mental health issues, including PTSD and postpartum depression.
“My wife is not a monster,” he said. “Most people don’t understand how that affects the brain. It’s a chemical imbalance … and it can be exacerbated by trying to fix it with medication.”
Cliff described the situation as completely out of character for his wife.
“This is unbelievable. We had been getting her help, and somewhere along the way, something didn’t work,” he explained. “As angry as I may be with her, I still love her, and I lost her, too.”
