Three days after her mother killed her three sisters and herself in a murder-suicide, dad left devastated by the death of his daughter, 7, due to gunshot injuries.

Following a horrific murder-suicide by her mother, a man's seven-year-old daughter succumbed to her injuries days later, leaving him heartbroken.



 

Olivia Blackmer had been fighting for her life at a Salt Lake City, Utah hospital for five days after her mother Tranyelle Harshman, 32, opened fire inside their home in Byron, Wyoming on February 10.

After having undergone brain surgery and being sedated for days to reduce swelling in her brain, Olivia, 7, passed away on Saturday afternoon. In a crowdfunding post, her family revealed that she fought tirelessly until the very last moment.

Brailey, 9, Brooke, who was almost 3, and Jordan, two-years old, were all killed as a result of the tragedy. At the scene, the three girls were declared dead.

 

On Sunday, Olivia's father Quinn Blackmer wrote a Facebook post that was heartbreaking, revealing that she had died and the family was devastated.

 

'The amount of devastation we feel and are going through is so much,' he wrote, adding that 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'.

 

Blackmer expressed gratitude to everyone for supporting the family's GoFundMe account, which had already raised over $108,000 by early Monday.

 

'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,' he added. 'Your kindness and generosity have been so much and we just ask that you continue to pray and keep us all in your thoughts.'

On February 10, Harshman took the lives of her four daughters. She called the Big Horn County Sheriff's Office at approximately 1:30pm that day to report the shooting, but denied firing the weapon.

 

Rather, she stated that there had been a shooting at her residence and she assumed that all four of her children had been killed.

 

According to Harshman, there were two daughters upstairs in their cribs, and the other two were in a bedroom downstairs.

 

Upon arriving at the site later, deputies discovered two girls, a two-year-old and a nine-year-old, deceased from gunshot wounds to their heads.

 

Gunshot wounds to the head were also suffered by two other children, a two-year-old and a seven-year-old, but they were still able to survive. A short time later, the 2-year-old who was still alive died on the scene.

 

Despite being found with a gunshot wound to the head in her bedroom, Harshman remained conscious when the cops moved in. Her injuries caused her to succumb to them at a nearby hospital.

 

At the same time, Olivia was transported to Primary Children's Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she had brain surgery and spent days under heavy sedation to reduce swelling in her brain.

Quinn Blackmer revealed that Olivia's situation was difficult and last week urged anyone with a pulse to pray to God to support her in her fight.

 

According to Cowboy State Daily, he posted on Facebook that it wasn't an ask but a demand.  

 

He stated that we are running out of medical options for her and we are truly in need of a miracle.

 

Although her brain continues to swell and respond positively to the medication, this is not a long-term issue.

 

Blackmer explained that surgeons had to stop considering removing a portion of her skull due to the high pressure in her brain, which would be catastrophic.

 

On Friday, Wyomingites held candlelight vigils across the state to pray for Olivia's recovery after responding to the call, as reported by Cowboy State Daily.

 

Last week, a prayer service was organized by an evangelical teacher in Uganda. The service's videos depicted numerous children praying for Olivia and sending love messages.

 

Tragically, the young girl succumbed to her injuries at the hospital on Saturday.

 

'Olivia is with her sisters now. She gained her angel wings yesterday at 3.49pm. She fought so hard up til the last minute,' her stepmom Katelynn Blackmer wrote in an update on an online fundraiser set up to help with Olivia's medical expenses and Brailey's funeral.

 

'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 explained, noting that Olivia 'kept fighting through it all, though, until her heart stopped.

 

We are grateful that she stayed for as long as she did to give us some valuable time with our sweet baby girl over the past five days.

 

We want to thank each and every one of you for your prayers and support for our family,' she continued.

 

'We are in a rough spot with the tragic passing of both daughters. We took time as a family to grieve and be in the moment before letting the world know, but wanted to let you all know as we are thankful for all that you have done,' Katelynn wrote as the fundraiser netted nearly $106,000 for the family.

 

She affirmed that Olivia and Brailey were loved by all of us.

 

It will be a difficult time for us, so please keep our family in your thoughts as we attempt to cope with this tragic event day by day.

 

In her post, she concluded with a Bible verse saying, "I have fought a good fight, completed my course, and I have persevered in my faith."

 

Quinn had previously stated his 'furious' response to what occurred.

 

He stated that he is focusing on the present and burying his anger for a while, as it is not going to bring my child back.

 

But Harshman's husband, Cliff, who raised Brailey and Olivia from the time they were two and four and was the biological father of the two younger girls, Brooke and Jordan - defended his wife as he urged the public not to rush to judgment.

 

According to his and Harshman's friends, she was suffering from mental health issues and post-partum depression.

 

People don't grasp the extent to which mental illness is not just a matter of willpower. It's chemical imbalances in your brain. It's damaged pathways in your brain,' Cliff told KTVQ.

 

According to him, his wife was an incredible mother who loved her kids. However, he acknowledged that he is extremely angry with her due to the decision that was made.