A British woman was shot dead by her father at his home in Texas following an argument about US politics and Donald Trump, a UK inquest has heard.
The court examined the death of 23-year-old Lucy Harrison, who was visiting the United States with her boyfriend at the time of the incident.
Harrison had travelled from Warrington, Cheshire, with her partner Sam Littler to stay with her father, Kris Harrison, and his family at their home in Prosper, near Dallas.
The shooting occurred on January 10, 2025, just hours before the couple were due to return to the UK.
Giving evidence, Littler told the court that Lucy and her father frequently clashed, particularly over his gun ownership. On the morning of the incident, as they prepared to leave for the airport, a heated argument broke out over Trump, who was set to be inaugurated for a second term.
“Kris and Lucy ended up having quite a big argument, which led to Lucy running upstairs and being very upset,” Littler said.
He added that during the dispute, Lucy asked her father how he would feel if she were sexually assaulted. According to testimony, Harrison responded that he had two other daughters and that it “would not upset him that much.”
Littler said that about half an hour later, Harrison took Lucy by the hand and led her into his ground-floor bedroom. Around 15 seconds later, he heard a loud bang, followed by Harrison calling for his wife, Heather. When he entered the room, Lucy was lying on the floor near the bathroom doorway.
She died from a single gunshot wound to the chest.
Lucy worked as a fashion buyer for Boohoo and was described by her mother, Jane Coates, as a “real force of life” who cared deeply about social issues and enjoyed debate.
The inquest also heard that Kris Harrison had previously received treatment for alcohol addiction. He did not attend the hearing, and his lawyer said the proceedings had resembled a criminal investigation rather than a fact-finding inquiry.
Police in Prosper initially investigated the case as possible manslaughter. However, a grand jury in Collin County declined to indict Harrison, and no criminal charges were filed in the US.
