GANS, Okla. — A father and sister are clinging to memories of Tara Barnett-Underwood, who they say was one of the two people killed during their shift at LaFerry's Propane in Gans, Okla. on June 18.
Randy and Tia Barnett are finding peace however they can after receiving the dreaded call from Tara's fiancé.
"He told me to get somewhere where I could sit down. He had some bad news, and he asked me, 'Was I ready?' And I said, 'Yes,'" Randy said. "It's news you're never ready for."
Randy couldn't comprehend what he was hearing, "It was like somebody pulled the air out from under me ... I fell to the ground."
According to Randy, his soon-to-be son-in-law was the one who found Tara and her coworker at LaFerry's Propane on Tuesday night.
"My daughter had been shot along with her coworker and killed, and her vehicle was missing," Randy said.
Tara's sister Tia said the incident was a situation of wrong place, wrong time.
"It was just the wrong day. Right off the highway, where the propane place is. It was just the perfect place. He needed another vehicle," she said.
Tara's family doesn't want her death to be clouded by the life she lived.
"I just want everyone to remember Tara like she was in school ... fun and happy, full of life," Tia said.
Randy said Tara could always put a smile on his face.
"Anyone that knew Tara and loved Tara, knew she was bouncy and full of life. She couldn't sing karaoke that great, but boy, she could make us laugh with it."
Although she was always the life of the party, Randy said Tara would also help anyone at the drop of a dime.
"She was always the first to jump in the creek," he said. "She's the first one to jump in the pool. She's the first one to tear up the house, but she's also the first person that would do anything for anyone."
Tara leaves behind her three kids, who Tia says will miss their mom so much.
"She was an amazing mom," she said. "They're gonna miss her so much."
As the family leans on each other to remember the legacy Tara left behind, they know they're not the only family impacted by these crimes.
"We want to let the other victims' families know that we would love to reach out to them," Tia said.
Randy believes they could be a strong support system for one another during these difficult times.
"We would love to hear from them," he said. "Give us some grief counseling. Give us some support, people that's been through it. We're there for you as well. We are, and we're holding together strong."
For anybody that was in Tara's life and is reeling from losing her, the family encourages them to reach out as well.
"Love will bring us all together. Love will keep us all together. Everybody that was Tara's friend [is] welcome here. They're welcome around us. We encourage y'all to come and give love," Randy said.
As the grieving continues, the family says they will be seeking justice for Tara.
"She deserves that," Tia said. "Her kids deserve that, and her story needs to be out, as well as the other victims' families."
Her family hopes Tara's story will inspire a larger change. In the midst of his daughter's death, Randy says he wants to see action taken to address mental health and gun violence in this country.
"It's not addressed near enough in our country, and someone like this that has caused this much hurt across the nation already," he said. "When is it going to end? When are the lawmakers that we vote for going to do something about it?"
As her family prepares to lay Tara to rest, they continue to look for reminders of her wherever they can.
"We're filming this right now because of these sunflowers behind me," Randy said. "My daughter loved these sunflowers, and on Father's Day, we looked and enjoyed the beauty ... One of her last posts on social media was that sunflower. I'm going to put one in her casket."
Randy has set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral and burial costs and support for Tara's children.
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