The father of a seven-year-old girl who was shot in the head during a tragic murder-suicide by her mother has spoken out following her passing.
Olivia Blackmer died on Saturday afternoon (February 15), five days after being hospitalized with a gunshot wound inflicted by her mother, Tranyelle Harshman.
Harshman, 32, called 911 before fatally shooting Olivia and her sisters, then turned the gun on herself.
Olivia’s nine-year-old sister, Brailey, and two-year-old stepsisters, Brooke and Jordan, were pronounced dead at the scene on February 10 in Wyoming. Olivia initially survived and was transported to a local hospital before being airlifted to another facility for treatment. However, her father, Quinn Blackmer, later confirmed her passing in a heartbreaking statement shared on Facebook (via PEOPLE).
Quinn Blackmer, Olivia’s father, expressed his grief in a heartfelt statement on Facebook, asking for privacy during this painful time.
“The amount of devastation we feel and are going through is so much. Please give all families involved our time and space during this extremely difficult time in our life,” he wrote.
He also provided updates on funeral arrangements, noting that details would be shared on his Facebook page and the GoFundMe campaign set up to support the family.
“Speaking of that, from the bottom of our hearts we want to thank every single person that has donated and prayed and fasted for us and our family and our beautiful Olivia,” he continued. “Your kindness and generosity has been so much, and we just ask that you continue to pray and keep us all in your thoughts.
“The peace I find is knowing that my babies don’t have to be apart from each other and they can also be with their other sisters.”
Previously, Blackmer told KTVQ that he was “furious” with Harshman but was trying to focus on the present. “I’m trying my hardest to bury that for a while and to focus on the now, because that anger isn’t going to bring my child back,” he said (via PEOPLE).
Olivia’s stepmother, Katelynn Blackmer, also shared the tragic news through the GoFundMe page set up to help cover medical expenses and funeral costs.
“Olivia is with her sisters now,” Katelynn Blackmer wrote in an emotional update. “She gained her angel wings yesterday at 3:44 p.m. She fought so, so hard up until the last minute. Her body and brain had been through too much, medication helped, but we reached a point where medical options were exhausted, and her condition only continued to worsen.”
“She kept fighting through it all until her heart finally stopped. We are grateful she held on as long as she did, giving us those last five precious days to spend with our sweet baby girl.”
She went on to express gratitude for the overwhelming support the family has received.
“We want to thank each and every one of you for your prayers and support. We are in a rough spot, grieving the tragic loss of both daughters. As a family, we took time to mourn privately before sharing this news, but we wanted to let you all know how much we appreciate everything you have done for us.”
