Olivia Blackmer, 7, passed away from her injuries five days after her siblings died
Warning: This article contains discussion of suicide which some readers may find distressing.
The father of a seven-year-old girl who was shot by her mother alongside her three sisters has told of his heartbreak after she tragically succumbed to her injuries.
Olivia Blackmer passed away on Saturday (15 February), five days after police say her mother Tranyelle Harshman, 32, opened fire in their family home in Byron, Wyoming.
The youngster’s three sisters – Brailey, 9, Brooke, 2, and Jordan, 2 – died at the scene after suffering gunshot wounds to the head on 10 February.
Olivia was rushed to Primary Children’s Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, with devastating injuries, but her family later announced she had sadly ‘gained her angel wings’.
A poignant statement released by her loved ones read: “Olivia is with her sisters now. 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.”
Her mother, Harshman, called police at around 1.30pm on the day of the incident to report a shooting at her home, according to the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office.
A release from the force explained that she then told the dispatcher that she ‘was going to do the same to herself’. She was found alive but was pronounced dead on 11 February at a local hospital.
Harshman’s husband Cliff released a statement in wake of the shooting, insisting she was ‘not a monster’ and claiming she had been receiving treatment for mental health issues such as PTSD and postpartum depression.
In the wake of Olivia’s death, her devastated father Quinn Blackmer has spoken out about his heartbreak.
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The seven-year-old passed away after undergoing brain surgery and spending days under heavy sedation to reduce swelling in her brain.
In a Facebook post shared on Sunday (16 February), Quinn said Olivia’s family had been ‘absolutely gutted’ by their loss, according to the Daily Mail.
“The amount of devastation we feel and are going through is so much,” he wrote, while saying he finds ‘peace’ in ‘knowing that my babies don’t have to be apart from each other and they can also be with their other sisters’.
The dad also thanked those who had donated to a GoFundMe set up to financially assist the family, which has already surpassed $108,000.
Quinn continued: “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.
“Your kindness and generosity has been so much and we just ask that you continue to pray and keep us all in your thoughts.”
He had previously asked anyone with ‘a pulse’ to will Olivia to keep fighting as she remained in hospital.
“This is not an ask, this is a demand,” he said in another Facebook post, according to Cowboy State Daily.
“We are running out of medical choices for her and we truly need a miracle. Her brain is continuing to swell and then react positively to the medication, but this is not long term.”
If you’re experiencing distressing thoughts and feelings, the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM) is there to support you. They’re open from 5pm–midnight, 365 days a year. Their national number is 0800 58 58 58 and they also have a webchat service if you’re not comfortable talking on the phone.
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