ELIZABETHTOWN, Ky. — A tragic incident unfolded early Sunday morning when a 15-year-old girl was fatally shot by another girl of the same age in a Lowe’s parking lot. The Elizabethtown Police Department reported that at approximately 2:30 a.m., officers responded to emergency calls regarding a female victim who had suffered a gunshot wound to the chest.
Upon arrival at the scene, officers found 21-year-old Bryan Harbison attempting to perform CPR on the victim while another 15-year-old girl was present in the vehicle. Both of the girls were later identified as minors. Harbison, who had met the girls via Snapchat, claims he believed the victim was 18 years old. According to police, he admitted to buying alcohol for them and driving them to the parking lot for an informal gathering.
The situation turned deadly when the suspect allegedly took out a firearm from the vehicle, aimed it at the victim, and fired a shot that struck her in the chest. “The suspect discharged one round, fatally wounding the victim. This is an incredibly tragic situation,” said Chris Denham, a public information officer with the Elizabethtown Police Department. The circumstances surrounding how the gun was accessed are under scrutiny, as discrepancies have emerged between the accounts given by Harbison and the suspect.
Harbison reported that the firearm was located in his glove compartment and that the suspect retrieved it without his knowledge. Conversely, the suspect claimed that Harbison had placed the firearm on the vehicle’s console and indicated it was unloaded. After the shooting, emergency responders transported the victim to the hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
Denham expressed the deep sorrow of the victim’s family, stating they were unprepared for such an unforeseen tragedy. “When we notified them, they believed she was safe at home, asleep in her bed,” he said.
Following the incident, police arrested the juvenile suspect on a charge of murder, while Harbison faces charges of first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor and first-degree wanton endangerment. “Anyone who owns a firearm must be responsible for its security. Failing to do so is not only negligent but can have criminal implications,” Denham emphasized.
The case is set to be presented to a grand jury in Hardin County, which will decide if further charges should be filed. Investigators continue to examine the details surrounding the events that led to this heartbreaking loss of life.