A British woman was unlawfully killed after being shot in the chest by her father at his home in Texas following an argument about Donald Trump, a coroner ruled on Wednesday. Lucy Harrison, 23, from Warrington, Cheshire, died on January 10, 2025, after the shooting in Prosper, Texas.
The inquest at Cheshire Coroner’s Court heard that Kris Harrison, Lucy’s father, shot his daughter with a semi-automatic handgun. Senior Coroner Jacqueline Devonish ruled the death unlawful, attributing it to gross negligence manslaughter. Texas police investigated the death as possible manslaughter but a grand jury declined to indict Kris Harrison, according to the BBC.
Lucy Harrison and her boyfriend, Sam Littler, were visiting Kris Harrison in Texas when the incident occurred. Littler told the court that he and Lucy were scheduled to return to the United Kingdom on the day of the shooting. Earlier that morning, Lucy and her father had a “big argument” regarding then-President-elect Donald Trump, Littler testified. He stated Lucy often became distressed when her father discussed owning a gun.
During the argument, Lucy reportedly asked her father, “How would you feel if I was the girl in that situation and I’d been sexually assaulted?” Littler testified that Kris Harrison responded that having two other daughters living with him would not upset him as much. Lucy became “quite upset” and went upstairs, according to Littler’s testimony.
Approximately half an hour before they were due to leave for the airport, Lucy was in the kitchen when her father took her hand and led her into a bedroom on the ground floor. Littler reported hearing a loud bang and subsequent shouts about 15 seconds later. Upon entering the room, he found Lucy lying on the floor near the bathroom door.
Coroner Devonish stated that for Kris Harrison to have shot his daughter in the chest although she was standing, he must have pointed the gun at her and pulled the trigger without ensuring it was safe. She described his actions as “reckless,” according to reports from the BBC and The Guardian.
Kris Harrison did not attend the inquest but submitted a written statement. He claimed that he and Lucy had been watching a news report about gun crime when he told her he owned a pistol and offered to present it to her. He stated he retrieved the gun from a locked cabinet in his bedroom. Harrison said he did not recall his finger being on the trigger when he removed the gun and could not explain how it discharged.
Harrison admitted to having a history of alcohol addiction and acknowledged relapsing on the day of the shooting, consuming approximately 500ml of white wine. A police officer who arrived at the scene testified that Harrison’s breath smelled of alcohol.
The coroner’s ruling follows a similar finding last year, as reported by The Guardian, that Lucy Harrison was unlawfully killed. No criminal charges were filed in the United States following the investigation.