Camilla Jessen
Father who shot daughter in Texas will not be prosecuted.
A Texas grand jury has declined to charge a father who shot and killed his 23-year-old British daughter during a family argument, a decision that has sparked criticism on both sides of the Atlantic.
Lucy Harrison, from Warrington in the UK, was killed on January 10, 2025, while staying with her father, Kris Harrison, at his home in Prosper, Texas.
Argument before shooting
According to testimony heard at an inquest in Cheshire Coroner’s Court, Lucy and her father had been arguing before the shooting.
Her boyfriend, Sam Littler, said the pair often clashed over politics and gun ownership. On the day she was due to fly home, the argument reportedly involved Donald Trump.
Littler told the inquest Lucy became upset and ran upstairs. He said Kris later led her to his bedroom on the ground floor. About 15 seconds later, Littler heard a loud bang.
Bodycam footage cited at the inquest showed Kris telling police he had been showing Lucy his gun when it “just went off.”
He said: “As I lifted the gun to show her I suddenly heard a loud bang. I did not understand what had happened. Lucy immediately fell.”
Different legal outcomes
A UK inquest concluded that Lucy was unlawfully killed on the grounds of gross negligence manslaughter.
However, in June 2025, a Texas grand jury declined to indict Kris Harrison, meaning he will not face criminal charges in the United States.
Senior coroner Jacqueline Devonish said: “His actions have killed his own daughter and in the cold light of day it is hoped that he now recognises the risk he posed to her life in circumstances in which he had no experience of guns, had undertaken no training and had never fired a gun.”
Under Texas law, a license was not required to purchase the firearm involved.
Expert points to politics
Lindsay Richards, a former prosecutor and now a criminal defense lawyer in Austin, told the New York Post she believes local politics may have played a role.
“I honestly believe that the fact that he was not indicted and has not had any consequences for doing this is symptomatic of a very conservative county in Texas,” she said.
She added: “The only thing we can boil this down to is looking at our political climate. A conservative county in Texas, and this was the result.”
Richards also questioned whether alcohol use and handling of the firearm were fully considered.
Lucy’s mother, Jane Coates, has said her daughter was “failed” by Texas gun laws and local authorities.
Sources: Cheshire Coroner’s Court, Sky News, New York Post
