BYRON — As the town of Byron and surrounding communities grieve multiple losses after a mother shot her four daughters before shooting herself, the first responders to the scene of the murder-suicide are also grappling with the tragedy.
Big Horn County sheriff’s deputy Keri Angell was one of the first to respond to the home in Byron on Monday afternoon. She was just a few blocks away when she got the call that Tranyelle Harshman, 32, had called 911 around 1:30 p.m. saying her daughters were shot.
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“Seventeen years. Seventeen years at the sheriff's office. I work in crime scenes, and you don't ever expect anything like this,” Angell said on Wednesday. “We entered into the home. Clearing the home, I went back to the little girl who was actually still alive and administered first aid to her. I stood there with her until EMS arrived and took her and continued aid.”
When law enforcement arrived, five people were found with gunshot wounds. Two of the young girls, ages 2 and 9, were dead. Harshman and her other two daughters, ages 7 and 2, showed signs of life. The 2-year-old died soon after. The 7-year-old is still fighting for her life while being treated at a Salt Lake City hospital.
Harshman died at a local Billings hospital.
Angell stayed at the scene throughout the incident, according to Sheriff Kenneth Blackburn.
“Deputy Angell remained on scene throughout the incident and then additionally through the processing of the scene until it could be turned back over to the family and to folks that were able to help clean the scene so that it could be presentable for the family. Which are things that people don't think about,” Blackburn said.
Questions remain following the tragic incident, but Blackburn urges communities to come together and not pass judgment.
“This could have been Anytown, USA. It happened to be Byron's turn. Unfortunately, this could have been any family USA," Blackburn said. “I would encourage people to be very careful before they label this situation as horrible as it is and as tragic as it is.”
Blackburn said the agency is transitioning from the active investigation to healing and moving forward.
"Our agency has received a level of support from across the country and particularly Montana and Wyoming," Blackburn said. "We are moving forward to make sure that we take care of them (responders) in the best fashion possible and give them our utmost support for the sacrifices they've made, which don't always include physical injuries. A lot of times they're injuries of the heart."
Blackburn said the agency has "some of the top critical incident debriefing teams" in Wyoming traveling to offer support.
"We're worried for the living, and we're mourning for the dead at the same time," Blackburn said.
Angell said the first people who responded supported each other, too.
"As for law enforcement, too, and the first responders, we've all been there for each other," Angell said. "I feel that higher power is in us, put us in this position to be where we are, to do what we do. I mean, I believe it's a calling and it's also a self-sacrifice for what we put ourselves through for that."
