Jeff Jarrett established the nonprofit “Harley’s angels” following the death of his son, Harley, 11 years ago. According to Jarrett, his son was accidentally shot by a freind who believed the gun was unloaded. “He went to a little get-together over at his friend’s house. Somebody had a stolen gun, and they broke it out,” Jarrett explained. “They were all passing it around, checking it out, and my son’s friends, when it was his turn to look at the gun, he thought it wasn’t loaded, and as a joke, he put it to my son’s head, and he thought it wasn’t loaded, and he pulled the trigger.”

That night irrevocably changed his life. “I got a knock on the door to about 10 Cottonwood Heights police officers,” he recalled. “I remember pointing at them and just being like, ‘You guys are all a bunch of liars. My son can’t be dead.'”

Jarrett described informing Harley’s mother as “the hardest phone call I’ve ever made in my life.” He recounted, “Having to call my son’s mom and tell her what happened and hearing that scream on the phone – it was horrible.”

In the years following the tragedy, Jarrett battled substance abuse and suicidal thoughts before finding a renewed sense of purpose in creating his nonprofit.

“Something sparked in my head. Something told me to start a nonprofit,” Jarrett said.

The association provides support to families who have lost children to gun accidents and offers assistance to individuals who have unintentionally harmed others.