Inset: Tia Holmes (Madison County Jail). Background: The house where Holmes allegedly shot and killed her own daughter in Anderson, Ind. (Google Maps).
An Indiana woman is behind bars for shooting and killing her own daughter with a lone gunshot at night, Hoosier State police say.
Tia Holmes, 38, stands accused of one count each of reckless homicide, neglect of a dependent, and neglect of a dependent causing serious bodily injury in connection with the death of 17-year-old Tianna Harris, according to the Madison County Prosecutor”s Office.
The underlying incident occurred on Dec. 28, 2025, at a residence on West 38th Street in Anderson, a medium-sized city located roughly 45 miles northeast of Indianapolis.
On the day in question, during the early morning hours, Holmes was allegedly concerned about her ex-husband accessing the family’s home without permission, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by Indianapolis-based Fox affiliate WXIN.
The defendant’s family, however, says that fear is an ongoing concern.
Holmes often walks around the house saying she “claims to see shadows or someone there,” one witness, identified as the victim’s sibling, told investigators, according to the charging document. The sibling added that Holmes frequently grabs her weapon while saying she needs to “go investigate.”
The sibling recast the defendant’s alleged state of mind in much less favorable terms, allegedly saying Holmes killed their sister “because she doesn’t know how to sit down and chill.”
Another witness in the house that night said they remembered Holmes walking around and seemingly looking for someone as she allegedly said: “I feel like he’s here, I feel like somebody is here.”
The second witness said they responded by telling Holmes no one was inside the house and to calm down, police said. Then, the second witness went to sleep and woke to a telltale bang.
After the fatal din roused them awake, the second witness went to investigate and found Tianna suffering from a gunshot wound, according to law enforcement. Around the same time of the discovery, the defendant allegedly responded in telling fashion.
“Oh my god, I didn’t know it was her; I thought he was trying to get in here,” Holmes allegedly said.
The second witness clarified that, on the night of the shooting, the defendant was referencing her ex-husband and would regularly look around the residence to make sure he was not there, police said. Those worries were undergirded by the defendant having a protective order against her husband, the second witness allegedly said.
Investigators later interviewed Holmes, who allegedly said she fell asleep in the living room that night but awoke to a noise in the back. Then, she grabbed a handgun that she keeps under a mattress to perform a full “sweep” of the home, according to the affidavit.
Upon seeing what she described as a shadow, the defendant opened fire, police said. Holmes allegedly said she heard a “grunting noise,” turned on the light, and only then realized she had shot her daughter.
The defendant is currently being detained in the Madison County Jail on $250,000 bond on the preliminary charges. Formal charges have yet to be filed by the Madison County Prosecutor’s Office as of this writing.
