She succumbed to her injuries over the weekend
The fourth daughter of a mother who shot all of her children in a killing spree at their Wyoming home has died.
Olivia Blackmer was seven years old when she and her three sisters were shot by their mother, Tranyelle Harshman on February 10. The mother then turned the gun on herself.
Harshman’s other three children Brailey, aged nine, Brooke, two and Jordan, two, died at the scene after suffering gunshot wounds to the head.
Olivia survived the traumatic series of events and was rushed to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah and while under sedation, doctors remained hopeful after they revealed she was responding to touch but tragically on Saturday 15 February she passed away.
The family of Olivia confirmed the tragic news in a statement.
It read: “Olivia is with her sisters now. She gained her angel wings yesterday (15 February) at 3:44pm. She fought so so hard up til the last minute! Her body and her brain had been through too much, medication helped but we reached a point where medical options were exhausted and her body only continued to get worse.
“She kept fighting through it all though until her heart stopped. We are grateful she hung on as long as she did so we could get some valuable time with our sweet baby girl the last five days.
“We want to thank each and every one of you for your prayers and support for our family. We are in a rough spot with the tragic passing of both daughters.”
Harshman was pronounced dead on Tuesday 11 February, days after she made a horrifying phone call to 911 to report the shooting.
The American woman reportedly opened fire at her children with Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office saying: “The dispatcher pleaded with the female caller over the phone for the female caller to remain on the line until responding units arrive. The female caller stated multiple times that she could not do that and that it was too late.”
Before the passing of Olivia, Harshman’s husband – the father of the two youngest children – had previously released a statement claiming that she’s not a monster and that it was ‘out of character’.
He said: “We’d been getting her help, and along the way something didn’t work. As angry as I may be with her, I still love her — and I still lost her as well.”
Briana Baker, a friend of Harshman, said that the mother had mental health problems such as post-partum depression.
She said: “Everything can change in an instant. Never allow yourself to think, ‘it couldn’t be me.’ Stay humble and kind.
“You never know what someone is struggling with inside of their mind. Tranyelle was not the monster this tragedy makes her seem to be. Her loved ones don’t want her to be remembered for her darkest moments.
“She was sweet, loving and funny. Her children were her main focus in life.”
The family have set up two GoFundMe campaigns to raise money to help pay for the funerals of the girls.
