‘I Can’t Imagine’: Police Say Indiana Woman Mistook Her 17-Year-Old Daughter for Home Intruder, Leading to Tragic Fatal Shooting
An Indiana woman was taken into custody for the shooting death of her teenage daughter, which prosecutors believe was a tragic mistake. Authorities say the deadly shooting took place at 5 a.m. on Dec. 28 in the town of Anderson and claimed the life of 17-year-old Tianna Harris. A Michigan woman was taken into police custody in connection with the shooting death of her 17-year-old daughter in Anderson, Michigan, which authorities believe was unintentional. (Photo: Screenshot/WRTV) Police were called to the family's home that morning and found Harris suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound. They rushed her to a nearby hospital, where she later died from her injuries. Witnesses told investigators that they never heard an altercation take place, but were awakened by the sound of a gunshot. Authorities learned it was Harris' mother who fired the fatal shot after mistaking her daughter for a home intruder. Madison County Prosecutor Rodney Cummings told WRTV that early investigative details suggest that Harris left the house sometime during the night and returned home during the predawn hours, which frightened her mother. Authorities don't believe the killing was malicious or intentional. "I can't imagine. I have two daughters of my own. I can't imagine something like that happening. I don't know how you deal with that as a parent," Cummings said. Neighbors said the shooting shook the community. "It's kind of scary. We've never had anything like this happen before, and I feel for the family and everything, and we really don't know exactly what happened," resident Kevin Holland said. Local law enforcement has not yet identified the mother, but says they are still working through the details of the case to determine whether to file charges. Cummings encouraged the public to be prudent when handling firearms or suspecting that a situation might be a life-threatening one. He advised: "Be careful. Protect yourself, but please be careful. I mean, there's no way to pull that bullet back once you pull the trigger, and you just have to be very careful."
