In a quiet Westminster, Colorado neighborhood, a tragedy unfolded that would forever alter the course of a family's life. On the afternoon of April 21, 2020, emergency services were summoned to a residence on Moore Circle for a report of a child who had been shot. Upon arrival, first responders discovered three-year-old Ruby Jackson with a life-threatening gunshot wound to her chest.
Despite their swift and urgent efforts to transport her to a nearby hospital, the young girl succumbed to her injuries and was pronounced deceased.
The investigation into the heartbreaking incident soon revealed a story of childhood innocence shattered by unforeseen danger. Ruby and her seven-year-old brother had been engaged in a playful game of 'swords' inside their home. The innocuous game took a devastating turn when the young boy discovered a shotgun that had been left unsecured on a couch in the family's main living area. Unaware that the firearm was loaded, the boy picked it up and, in his own words, 'pushed the button.' The shotgun discharged, striking his younger sister. During a forensic interview, the boy recounted having played with the same gun the day before, at which time it had not been loaded.
The children's mother, Michaela Dawn Harman, was present in the home at the time of the incident. In the course of the investigation, she admitted to detectives that she had loaded the shotgun on the evening of April 20, 2020, and had brought it downstairs to the family room, where it was accessible to her children. In May 2021, Harman pleaded guilty to a felony charge of child abuse negligently causing serious bodily injury. Her plea agreement took into consideration the profound trauma the incident had inflicted on her surviving son and the desire of the children's caregivers to avoid the further emotional distress of a trial. As a result of her plea, she was expected to be sentenced to probation, which would include mental health and substance abuse treatment.
