A British woman who was fatally shot while visiting her father in the United States was unlawfully killed, a coroner has concluded.
Lucy Harrison, 23, from Warrington, Cheshire, died after being shot in the chest on 10 January 2025 at her father’s home in Prosper, near Dallas, Texas.
Local police initially investigated the incident as possible manslaughter. However, no criminal charges were brought against her father, Kris Harrison, after a grand jury in Collin County declined to indict him.
At an inquest held at Cheshire Coroner’s Court, Coroner Jacqueline Devonish determined that Lucy Harrison died as a result of unlawful killing on the grounds of gross negligence manslaughter. Family members were visibly emotional as the conclusion was delivered.
In her findings, the coroner stated: “To shoot her through the chest whilst she was standing would have required him to have been pointing the gun at his daughter, without checking for bullets, and pulling the trigger.
“I find these actions to be reckless.”
Speaking outside the court, Lucy’s mother, Jane Coates, said the ruling had restored her daughter’s voice after a year marked by devastation and determination.
“Today’s outcome has finally given Lucy her voice back after what has been an unrelenting year of deep shock, grief and fight — fight with quiet focus and steely determination to allow Lucy to speak her truth with the only voice she has now,” she said.
While acknowledging that the conclusion was reached in a coroner’s court rather than a criminal court, Ms Coates welcomed the findings and thanked the coroner for examining the evidence thoroughly and fairly.
The inquest heard that Kris Harrison, described by the coroner as a functioning alcoholic, claimed the firearm discharged accidentally.
Lucy Harrison’s boyfriend, Sam Littler, who had travelled with her to the United States, told the hearing that tensions had arisen earlier that day following an argument between Lucy and her father about Donald Trump, who was due to be inaugurated as US president later that month.
The case has drawn significant attention on both sides of the Atlantic, with Lucy’s family continuing to seek accountability and justice following her death.
