A heated political debate over the presidency of Donald Trump and the ethics of gun ownership served as the tragic prelude to the shooting death of a 23-year-old British woman at her father’s Texas home, a UK inquest has heard.
Lucy Harrison, a fashion buyer from Warrington described as a “kind and humorous” spirit, was killed in January 2025 while visiting her father, Kris Harrison, in the affluent community of Prosper, Texas. The details emerging from the Cheshire Coroner’s Court provide a harrowing look at a family visit that devolved into a fatal confrontation fueled by ideological rifts and an admitted alcoholic relapse.
A Departure Day Turned Deadly
Lucy had traveled to the United States alongside her boyfriend, Sam Littler, for a stay that was intended to conclude on January 10, 2025. According to Littler’s testimony, the day they were scheduled to fly back to the UK began with “quite a big argument” between Lucy and her father.
The court heard that disagreements were not uncommon between the two, who often clashed over their polarizing political stances and the volatile subject of American gun ownership. On that final morning, the friction centered on Donald Trump. During the exchange, Lucy reportedly challenged her father on his political allegiances, asking him how he would react if she herself were sexually assaulted.
The response from Kris Harrison was allegedly chilling. He reportedly replied that he “wouldn’t be that upset,” citing the fact that he had two other daughters residing with him.
“Fifteen Seconds”
The inquest heard that the remark caused an emotional Lucy to flee upstairs in distress. Littler recalled that Kris then took Lucy by the hand and led her into his ground-floor bedroom. Within 15 seconds of them entering the room, a single gunshot rang out.
“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,” Littler told the court. In the immediate aftermath, the father was heard shouting for his wife and urging someone to call 911, repeatedly screaming, “I don’t know, I don’t know.”
No Prosecution in Texas
Despite the fatal nature of the incident, the American legal system declined to pursue criminal charges. In June 2025, a Texas grand jury resolved not to indict Kris Harrison, effectively ending the possibility of a prosecution in the United States.
However, the UK inquest shed light on the father’s state of mind at the time of the shooting. Kris Harrison, who had previously sought treatment for alcohol addiction, admitted in a written statement to the court that he had relapsed on the day of his daughter’s death, consuming approximately 500ml of white wine.
A Father’s Remorse
In the statement submitted to the Cheshire Coroner’s Court, Kris Harrison expressed a profound sense of guilt, though the specific mechanics of how the weapon was discharged were not fully detailed in his remarks.
“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,” Harrison’s statement read. “I am deeply sorry for the pain others feel from this tragedy. Lucy’s spirit – her warmth, her humour, her kindness – will live on in all of us who loved her.”
As the inquest concluded, the narrative remained one of a devastating intersection: a father struggling with sobriety, a daughter passionate about her beliefs, and the presence of a loaded firearm during a moment of domestic crisis.
