Incident Overview
A British woman, Lucy Harrison, was fatally shot by her father, Kris Harrison, while visiting his home in Prosper, Texas. The inquest revealed that the two had argued earlier that day about US President Donald Trump.
Lucy Harrison, aged 23 and from Warrington, Cheshire, was shot in the chest on 10 January 2025 near Dallas.
Local police investigated the death as possible manslaughter. However, no criminal charges were filed against Kris Harrison after a Collin County grand jury declined to indict him.
An inquest into Lucy's death began at Cheshire Coroner's Court, where her boyfriend, Sam Littler, recounted the "big argument" about Trump, who was preparing to be inaugurated for his second term in office.
Details from the Inquest
Littler, who had traveled with Lucy to the US for the holiday, stated that Lucy often became upset when her father spoke about owning a gun.
The inquest also revealed that Kris Harrison, who had relocated to the United States when Lucy was a child, had previously undergone rehabilitation for alcohol addiction.
Kris Harrison did not attend the inquest but submitted a statement admitting he had relapsed on the day of the shooting, consuming approximately 500ml of white wine.
Littler described an exchange on the morning of 10 January during the argument about Trump. Lucy asked her father,
"How would you feel if I was the girl in that situation and I'd been sexually assaulted?"
Kris Harrison responded that he had two other daughters living with him, so it would not upset him as much.
Littler said Lucy became "quite upset" and ran upstairs.
Later that day, about 30 minutes before they were scheduled to leave for the airport, Lucy was in the kitchen when her father took her by the hand and led her into his ground-floor bedroom.
Littler heard a loud bang approximately 15 seconds later, followed by Kris Harrison screaming for his wife, Heather.
He recalled,
"I remember running into the room and Lucy was lying on the floor near the entrance to the bathroom and Kris was just screaming, just sort of nonsense."
Father's Statement
In his statement, Kris Harrison said he and his daughter had been watching a news segment on gun crime when he told her he owned a gun and asked if she wanted to see it.
They went into the bedroom so he could show her a Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun kept in the bedside cabinet.
He explained he had purchased the gun a couple of years earlier to provide a "sense of security" for his family and denied ever discussing it with his daughter before.
He stated,
"As I lifted the gun to show her I suddenly heard a loud bang. I did not understand what had happened. Lucy immediately fell."
Harrison said he could not recall whether his finger was on the trigger.
He acknowledged his past issues with alcohol and admitted to a "brief lapse" on the day of the shooting, attributing it to emotional distress over his daughter leaving.
Police Evidence
Evidence from police officer Luciana Escalera, read during the inquest, noted the smell of alcohol on Harrison's breath when responding to the shooting.
CCTV footage showed Harrison had purchased two 500ml cartons of Chardonnay from a 7-Eleven shortly before 13:00 CST (05:00 GMT) on the day of the incident.
Legal Proceedings and Courtroom Events
Ana Samuel, representing Kris Harrison, requested at the start of the hearing that coroner Jacqueline Devonish recuse herself, suggesting a fair-minded observer might perceive a "real possibility she was biased." Samuel argued the inquest resembled a criminal investigation more than a fact-finding inquiry.
Lois Norris, representing Lucy Harrison's mother, Jane Coates, described the request as an "ambush by Mr Harrison's legal team." She emphasized that Kris Harrison was the only person present when Lucy was shot.
Coroner Devonish denied the application to recuse herself.
Statements from Family and Legal Representatives
In a statement issued by his solicitors, Kris Harrison said he "fully accepted" the consequences of his actions and expressed the enduring weight of his loss, stating,
"There isn't a day I don't feel the weight of that loss, a weight I will carry for the rest of my life."
Jane Coates described her daughter as a "real force of life," adding,
"She cared. She was passionate about things. She loved to have debates about things that meant a lot to her."
Next Steps
The inquest was adjourned until Wednesday, when the coroner is expected to deliver her conclusions.
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