Officials say the teen victim, identified as 17-year-old Tianna Harris, died after she was shot inside a home near Raible Avenue.
ANDERSON, Ind. — Anderson detectives are reconstructing the hours before a 5 a.m. Sunday shooting that left a 17-year-old girl dead and put her mother in police custody, as officers gather statements from people who were inside the West 38th Street home and examine a recovered handgun.
Police said officers responded to the 2600 block of West 38th Street just after 5 a.m., where they found the teenager with a gunshot wound. She was taken to a local hospital and later pronounced dead. The mother was detained at the scene without incident, authorities said. Investigators collected physical evidence from several rooms, photographed the entryway and recovered a firearm believed to be the weapon used. Detectives were also checking whether any nearby home cameras captured movement outside the residence. The department said its findings would be forwarded to the Madison County Prosecutor’s Office for a charging decision, and that the mother’s name would be released once charges are filed or a court record is created.
People who were inside the home told investigators they woke up to a gunshot and did not hear an argument beforehand, according to police. Detectives were working to confirm that account by comparing interviews with a series of phone records and the 911 call reporting a person shot. “Establishing the timeline is critical,” an Anderson Police Department spokesperson said. Officers expanded their canvas to include a two-block radius, asking residents about any noises or visitors between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. and checking for exterior cameras pointed toward the street or front yard. No other injuries were reported, and police said there was no ongoing threat to the neighborhood.
On Monday, the Madison County Coroner’s Office confirmed it would conduct an autopsy to determine the official cause and manner of death. Police identified the victim as Tianna Harris, 17, pending family notification. Detectives said the handgun and spent casing found inside the home will undergo ballistics testing, and gunshot-residue kits were collected for analysis. Officers also seized several phones to seek warrants for call logs and messages that could clarify what led up to the shot. As of late Monday morning, police had not publicly detailed a possible motive, saying it remained unknown.
The block where the shooting occurred is a mix of single-story homes and duplexes just west of Raible Avenue, a corridor that sees regular commuter traffic before dawn. Neighbors said the street was closed for several hours as crime-scene tape cordoned off the property and officers marked evidence on the walkway and in a front room. A resident who lives across the street said she heard sirens and saw officers arrive “within minutes” after the first sounds of activity. Others described the area as usually quiet, noting there had been no recent police calls at the address.
Once detectives complete interviews and receive lab results, the case file will go to the Madison County Prosecutor’s Office for charging review. If charges are filed, an initial hearing would typically be set within two business days of booking, where a judge could consider bond and appoint counsel. Prosecutors could also request a protective order or no-contact order as the case proceeds. Police said any additional information, including a potential motive or charge details, would be released after the review. The department said it expects to provide an update after the coroner reports preliminary autopsy findings.
By Monday afternoon, relatives had begun placing flowers outside the home. A family acquaintance described Harris as a teenager who liked choir and was thinking about life after high school. “She had a lot of friends,” the acquaintance said. A neighbor who declined to give his name said he occasionally saw family members on the porch but never heard loud disputes. Officers reiterated that the shooting appeared isolated to the home and that there was no broader safety concern for nearby residents.
As of Monday evening, the investigation remained active with no formal charges announced. Officials said the next milestone would be the coroner’s autopsy and the prosecutor’s decision on charges later this week.
Author note: Last updated December 29, 2025.