Relatives mourn 16-year-old mother killed in Clarksville

CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Rain didn’t stop family and friends from gathering for a candlelight vigil Wednesday.

The victim of the incident, which police said was a domestic dispute, Bra’Anna Harbison, was only 16 years old. Harbison was a young mother of a two-week-old baby girl.

“Even when it rains, God is always good,” said Harbison’s grandmother Tonya Hickerson.

Harbison was shot and killed in her Clarksville home last Thursday. Police said another teenager, the baby’s father, was also found shot at the scene. He was still hospitalized and in critical condition at the time of publication.

“This was the last thing we expected. The very last thing,” Hickerson said. “I’m so devastated right now.”

Investigators said he was the perpetrator in the domestic-related incident, adding that murder charges are pending.

“A 16-year-old just had a baby and her life is taken away like she’s a piece of garbage,” Hickerson said. “That’s not human. How could you do that? What were you thinking?”

At the time of publication, the baby is in state custody. The family said Harbison’s mother is working to get custody.

“In her short life, Bra’Anna left her mark on people. The fact that she was taken so early and her life was so short is very devastating,” said Harbison’s cousin Faye Cutler.

As the family plans her funeral, they added that they want Harbison’s killer brought to justice.

“She loved taking pictures. She loved videos,” Hickerson said. “She always took everything. Always took everything. She was a lovely person.”

If you would like to help the family with funeral expenses, you can contribute to their GoFundMe campaign.

“It’s hard for a baby to grow up without its mother, because there’s nothing like a mother’s love,” Cutler said.