A 15-year-old girl’s life was cut short in a devastating incident that began as a secret night out. Katen Atwell was fatally shot in the early morning hours of January 11 in a Lowe’s parking lot in Hardin County, Kentucky . She died from a single gunshot wound to the chest.
According to police, the tragedy unfolded after 21-year-old Bryan Harbison connected with two 15-year-old girls on Snapchat . Harbison picked up the teens, believing they were 18 years old, and purchased alcohol for them. The three were sitting in the parking lot drinking when the other 15-year-old girl picked up a gun inside the vehicle and fired a single shot, striking Katen .
The teen shooter reportedly told police she believed the gun was unloaded . She is now charged with murder. Harbison faces charges of first-degree unlawful transaction with a minor and first-degree wanton endangerment .
Katen’s mother, Felicia Atwell, spoke publicly about the loss. She had no idea her daughter had left the house that night. “As far as we knew, she was in the bed asleep,” she told reporters . The knock at the door from the coroner around 5 a.m. shattered the family. “It’s not even registered in my brain why they’re even there,” she said .
In her grief, the mother expressed sympathy for the other family involved. “It hurt my heart honestly because not only did have I lost mine, but I my heart hurts for her family because I know that as much as I’m going through what I’m going through, they’re also devastated,” she said .
While the title of the story mentions the girl being “beaten,” the official police account describes the events differently. It also notes that the girl was shot by her friend, not a friend’s mother. Another search result describes a different case involving a 15-year-old who defended her mother from an abusive boyfriend, but this appears to be unrelated to the Hardin County incident .
The Atwell family now hopes Katen’s story will serve as a warning to other parents. “There needs to be heavy restrictions, even if it involves having a photo ID being taken that proves that you are who you are,” Felicia Atwell said, referencing dangers of minors meeting strangers online . She is urging parents to “be very aware of what your kids are doing. Don’t ever think that they’re not going to be doing something” .
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