Police say a 15-year-old was shot in the chest; a teen girl faces a murder charge and a 21-year-old man is accused of related offenses.
ELIZABETHTOWN, KY — A 15-year-old girl died after being shot in the chest just after 2:30 a.m. Sunday in the parking lot of a Lowe’s store off Ring Road, authorities said. Another 15-year-old girl was arrested at the scene, and a 21-year-old man who was with them was also taken into custody.
Police said the three met earlier through Snapchat and gathered in the lot to hang out, drink alcohol and sit in a truck before the shooting. Investigators said the teen suspect admitted to pointing a handgun inside the vehicle and pulling the trigger, striking the other teen. The victim was taken to Baptist Health Hardin and was pronounced dead. Officials have not released her name. The man, identified by police as Bryan Harbison, 21, told officers he believed the victim was 18 and acknowledged buying alcohol before picking up the teens. Detectives say the case remains active with interviews and evidence reviews underway.
Officers responded to 100 Lowe’s Drive after a 911 caller reported a girl shot in the chest. Police found Harbison giving CPR to the 15-year-old as another 15-year-old stood nearby, according to investigators. Emergency crews rushed the wounded teen to the hospital, where she died. “It’s despicable, it’s sad, it’s heartbreaking,” Elizabethtown Police Department spokesperson Chris Denham said. He added that the family believed the girl was in bed at home when they were notified. Investigators say the teens and Harbison had been in the truck parked near the store when the firearm discharged. The juvenile suspect told detectives she picked up a gun inside the vehicle, pointed it at the other teen and fired one round.
Detectives say accounts differ on how the gun reached the teen suspect’s hands. The suspect told police the firearm had been placed on the center console and that she was told it was unloaded. Harbison told investigators the handgun was secured in the glove compartment and that she removed it without his knowledge. Police have not released the make of the firearm or who owns it. The department said both 15-year-olds were known to each other before that night. The victim’s name is being withheld pending family notifications and because she is a minor. Investigators did not confirm whether surveillance video captured the shooting, but said additional evidence is being processed and more interviews are planned.
Harbison was arrested on counts of first-degree wanton endangerment and third-degree unlawful transaction with a minor, stemming from the alcohol and the presence of the firearm, police said. A judge set his bond at $10,000, and a court appearance is scheduled for Monday, Jan. 12. The juvenile girl accused of firing the shot was arrested on a murder charge and taken to a juvenile detention facility. Authorities have not released her name because of her age. Police said the case will be presented to a Hardin County grand jury to review the evidence and determine whether additional charges are warranted as the investigation proceeds.
Elizabethtown is a regional shopping hub along Ring Road, with large parking lots that often sit quiet overnight. Police did not indicate any prior calls involving the group before the shooting. The department said Harbison met the teens through Snapchat and believed the victim was 18, a detail investigators emphasized as they explained how the three ended up together. The hospital where the victim died, Baptist Health Hardin, serves much of Hardin County. As of Sunday night, police had not released autopsy findings or toxicology details, and they did not disclose whether the handgun had a lock or other safety device inside the vehicle.
Detectives said they are continuing to gather statements and review physical evidence from the truck. The grand jury review is expected to follow initial court proceedings for Harbison, who remains charged in connection with the events leading up to the shooting. Juvenile court proceedings for the teen suspect typically occur behind closed doors; prosecutors have not said whether they will seek to move the case to adult court. Police said they would provide updates after key milestones, including the preliminary hearing and the grand jury’s decision. Officials did not announce a date for a police briefing but noted additional information could be filed in court records this week.
By Sunday evening, police said the investigation’s priority was clarifying how the gun was accessed and documenting each person’s role in the minutes before the shot was fired. Denham said the department would continue coordinating with prosecutors and the medical examiner. The store lot remained a point of focus for several hours after the shooting as detectives processed the vehicle, photographed the scene and collected evidence. “You are responsible for any firearm you own at all times,” Denham said. “Failing to keep it secure is negligent, and it’s criminal.”
As of late Sunday, the victim’s identity had not been released. Harbison’s initial court hearing is set for Monday morning, Jan. 12, and the case is slated to be presented to a Hardin County grand jury afterward. Police said further updates will depend on charging decisions and lab results in the coming days.
Author note: Last updated January 11, 2026.