Brianna Harmon was a caring and family-oriented 25-year-old woman who worked to help others. A graduate of The Chattanooga STEM School, the Black female had spent the last few years of her life serving her community as an EMT for Puckett EMS. Her sister, Merce'Des Shropshire, remembered her as an outspoken "people person" who "lit up every room" and always made time to ensure everyone else was happy.
On October 10, 2024, Brianna was found deceased inside a home on Thrush Hollow Lane in
Chattanooga, Tennessee. First responders discovered her body on a couch, partially covered by a white blanket and a black shirt. An investigation determined she had died from a single gunshot wound to the back of her head.
The investigation began with a bizarre 911 call from a woman at a local Publix supermarket. Using the store's phone despite having her own, the caller claimed to be the pregnant girlfriend of the victim's sister's husband and confessed to the murder. She gave a false location, but dispatchers were able to trace the call and send deputies to the Publix, where they found the caller still on the line.
The woman was identified as Brianna’s 27-year-old sister, Brittani Harmon. During questioning, Brittani told detectives she had seen her sister alive on the couch using her phone before she called a Lyft to go to the grocery store. However, she was unable to account for the time between when she last saw Brianna alive and when her body was discovered.
Investigators gathered evidence that pointed to Brittani as the suspect. Ring camera footage from the home showed only Brittani coming and going from the residence around the time of the shooting. A gun, believed to be the murder weapon, was later found in the spare tire hatch of the vehicle she had driven to the Publix.
Brittani Harmon was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. While awaiting trial for her sister's death, she was prosecuted for a separate, prior incident. In January 2026, a jury found her guilty of aggravated arson in a case where she set a fire that caused a woman to jump from a third-story window. As of January 2026, following the arson conviction, Brittani Harmon was awaiting trial for the murder of Brianna Harmon.
