A Prosper, Texas, man was not charged in the fatal shooting of his 23-year-old daughter despite admitting he handled the firearm that killed her, after a grand jury declined to indict him following a police investigation into possible manslaughter.
Lucy Harrison, a British woman from Warrington, Cheshire, died Jan. 10, 2025, from a gunshot wound to the chest at her father Kris Harrison’s home in Prosper, near Dallas. The incident occurred during a visit by Lucy and her boyfriend, Sam Littler, who were due to fly home that day.
According to testimony from Littler at a U.K. inquest at Cheshire Coroner’s Court, the couple had a heated morning argument with Kris Harrison about then-President-elect Donald Trump, who was days from his second inauguration. The discussion escalated into a “big” argument over U.S. politics and Trump-related issues.
Littler testified that Lucy, who was described as passionate and fond of debate, became upset and asked her father: “How would you feel if I was the girl in that situation and I’d been sexually assaulted?” Kris Harrison reportedly replied that he had two other daughters who lived with him, so it “would not upset him that much.”
The response left Lucy “quite upset,” prompting her to run upstairs.
About 30 minutes before heading to the airport, Kris Harrison led his daughter into his bedroom to show her a Glock 9mm handgun he kept in a bedside cabinet for what he described as family security. He had purchased the weapon a couple of years earlier but had not previously shown it to her, despite Lucy often becoming upset when he mentioned owning a gun.
Kris Harrison told police that as he lifted the gun to show it to her, he heard a loud bang. He said he did not understand what happened at first, and Lucy fell immediately. He could not recall whether his finger was on the trigger. He admitted to authorities that he had relapsed into alcohol use that day, consuming about 500ml of white wine amid emotions over his daughter’s departure, and officers noted the smell of alcohol on his breath.
No self-defense claim was reported in connection with the incident.
Prosper police investigated the death as possible manslaughter. After reviewing evidence, a Collin County grand jury declined to indict Kris Harrison, meaning no criminal charges were filed. Texas grand juries determine whether sufficient evidence exists to proceed to trial; a “no bill” — the refusal to indict — ends the criminal prosecution unless new evidence emerges.
The specific reasoning behind the grand jury’s decision was not detailed publicly in reports on the case. Factors in such decisions can include assessments of intent, accident, negligence thresholds for criminal charges, witness accounts and forensic details, though authorities have not commented further on why prosecution was not pursued.
Kris Harrison, who has a history of alcohol-related issues and prior rehab, issued a statement through solicitors accepting the consequences of his actions and expressing ongoing grief: “I fully accepted the consequences of my actions. 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.”
An inquest into Lucy Harrison’s death opened at Cheshire Coroner’s Court in the U.K., where her mother, Jane Coates, described her as passionate, caring and fond of debate. Littler testified about the argument, Lucy’s question and emotional reaction, and the immediate aftermath, recounting hearing the bang and finding Lucy on the floor near the bathroom entrance while her father screamed “just sort of nonsense.”
The inquest was adjourned after initial hearings, with conclusions expected later. Kris Harrison did not attend.
The case highlights differences in U.S. and U.K. legal processes: While the shooting drew scrutiny in British media due to Lucy’s nationality, the Texas grand jury’s determination closed the criminal avenue in the U.S.
