UPDATE, 5:29pm: Byron Mom Suspected Of Shooting Her 4 Daughters Then Herself Dies
BYRON — A local woman shot her four children — killing three — and then shot herself Monday, the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office says in a statement that cites audio of the woman’s own 911 call.
The woman called 911 at 1:30 p.m. to report her four daughters had been shot, says a statement the sheriff’s office released Tuesday. She told the dispatcher she believed the girls were dead: two would be upstairs in their cribs and two would be downstairs, or ground level, in their shared bedroom, the statement relates.
The woman said she was going to shoot herself and could be found in her upstairs bedroom of the Byron, Wyoming, home, says the statement.
The dispatcher pleaded with her, and urged her to stay on the line until first responders could arrive.
But the woman kept saying it was too late, says the statement.
“Multiple attempts to keep her on the line failed and the call was disconnected,” it adds.
While the sheriff’s office hasn’t identified the victims by name, neighbors of the family have confirmed the woman is Tranyelle Harshman, who with her husband Cliff have four daughters. There is no indication in the report that Cliff was at home at the time of the shootings.
While three of the four girls have been confirmed dead, one of the children and Harshman were receiving medical care and their conditions weren’t known as of publication time.
The Response
While on the 911 call, dispatchers with The Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office immediately sent multiple law enforcement units, including mutual aid resources from the Lovell Police Department and Wyoming Highway Patrol to an address on the 200 block of East Shoshone Avenue in Byron.
Law enforcement arrived within minutes and immediately made entry into the home.
The Lovell Police Department Communications Center helped coordinate the arrival of ambulances from North Big Horn Hospital District in Lovell and Powell Valley Healthcare in Powell.
After Law Enforcement arrived on scene and rushed into the home, officers tactically cleared the entire residence, says the statement.
While clearing the home, officers found two girls ages 3 and 9 years old dead with gunshot wounds to the head. Two other female children ages 2 and 7 years old still alive with gunshot wounds to the head.
A single adult female, 32, later confirmed as the 911 caller and mother of the four female children, was found to have signs of life with a single gunshot wound to the head and was in the upstairs bedroom of the residence.
Responders administered lifesaving first aid before the ambulances arrived.
Ambulance personnel provided advanced life support to the woman and the 7 year old girl, who were still alive at that time.
The statement says the 2-year-old girl who was initially observed with signs of life had unfortunately died a very short time later due to the extent of her injuries.
Ambulance personnel rushed the 7-year-old to North Big Horn Hospital, where she was immediately provided advanced life support and soon after airlifted by Cody Regional Health-First Flight of Wyoming air medical helicopter to an advanced level of care.
Ambulance personnel rushed the woman to North Big Horn Hospital where she was provided advanced life support and rapidly taken to an advanced level of care.
The status of the surviving patients was unknown at the time of the release, it says.
Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office remained on scene until the early morning hours Tuesday documenting and processing evidence.
The sheriff’s office asked the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation to help with the processing of the scene with its advanced Crime Scene Investigations Unit out of Cheyenne, along with multiple local special agents assigned to the Northwest Enforcement Team out of Cody.
This incident was fully contained to the residence in the 200 block of East Shoshone Avenue in Byron and no threat existed to the general public, says the statement.
It says the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office wants to thank the following agencies and all personnel for their response and support during this tragic event:
• Lovell Police Department
• Lovell Police Department Dispatch Center
• Wyoming Highway Patrol
• Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigations Northwest Enforcement Team Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigations Crime Scene Unit
• North Big Horn Hospital Ambulance
• North Big Horn Hospital Emergency Room
• Powell Valley Healthcare Ambulance
• Cody Regional Health- First Flight of Wyoming
‘Nightmare’
“This incident evolved rapidly. We want to ensure that the facts of this incident are accurate,” says the statement. “It's easy for all of us to take for granted the job our first responders perform daily and the tragedies they deal with on a regular basis. We especially want to thank all our local first responders and health care providers who were involved with this incident.
“The brave men and women of our local emergency service teams ran into a rapidly, intense, evolving situation selflessly to serve their community and preserve life,” it continues. “The nightmare that this incident witnessed to these brave men and women should be something that no one should have to endure.
The statement concludes with Big Horn County Sheriff Ken Blackburn saying that, "Our hearts and prayers go out to all those who are affected and grieving by this extremely horrible and tragic incident."
Clair McFarland can be reached at clair@cowboystatedaily.com.
