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A tragedy unfolded in the US state of Wyoming's Big Horn County after a mother shot her four daughters before turning the gun on herself, leaving three dead and one in critical condition, authorities said according to the New York Post.
On Monday afternoon, 32-year-old Tranyelle Harshman called 911, telling dispatchers that her daughters had been shot inside their home. She gave their locations before abruptly ending the call.
When officers arrived, they found all four children with gunshot wounds to the head. Harshman was also discovered with a self-inflicted wound. She was still alive when police arrived but later died from her injuries.
Only one child, a 7-year-old girl, survived the shooting and remains in serious condition at a Salt Lake City hospital. The other victims, a 9-year-old and two 2-year-old twins, were pronounced dead at the scene, according to MTN News.
Authorities are still investigating what led to the killings, but Harshman’s husband,
Cliff Harshman
, revealed that she had been struggling with severe
mental health issues
, including
PTSD and postpartum depression
.
“My wife is not a monster,” he told Cowboy State Daily, breaking down in tears. “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 Harshman, the biological father of the two youngest victims, had also been helping raise the older two. He is now left to care for his
surviving daughter
as she fights for her life.
“Cliff Harshman, a devoted husband and father of four beautiful daughters, has suffered an unimaginable loss,” reads the fundraiser’s page.
In the wake of the tragedy, friends have launched a fundraiser to help cover medical expenses.
