Lucy Harrison, a 23-year-old British woman, was fatally shot in January 2025 in Prosper, Texas, while visiting her father, Kris Harrison. The incident has prompted her family to call for a renewed investigation, following a ruling by a Cheshire coroner that her death was unlawful.

Harrison had recently completed what she described as the best year of her life, having graduated with first-class honours from Manchester Metropolitan University, secured a job at the retailer Boohoo, and purchased a home with her boyfriend, Sam Littler. The couple traveled to Texas over Christmas to visit Kris Harrison, who had left the family home in the UK when Lucy was two years old. The visit also included spending time with her two younger half-sisters.

The relationship between Harrison and her father was reportedly complex and marked by tension, partly related to his status as a recovering alcoholic and their differing views on gun ownership. Kris Harrison, a telecoms executive originally from Liverpool who had settled in Texas, legally owned a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol purchased from a colleague in 2022. Texas law does not require gun owners over 21 to have training or a license.

On the morning of January 10, Harrison and her family were preparing to leave when a dispute occurred between Lucy and her father concerning sexual assault allegations against then-President Donald Trump. According to Littler, Harrison asked her father how he would feel if she were a victim and the perpetrator escaped accountability, a question that reportedly upset her deeply. Later, Kris Harrison took Lucy to his bedroom, where he held her hand—a gesture that surprised others present—and moments later, a gunshot was heard.

Kris Harrison claimed the gun discharged accidentally after he showed it to his daughter. Bodycam footage from responding officers includes his statement, “When I pulled it out, it went off.” Despite an officer detecting the smell of alcohol on Kris Harrison’s breath, he was not subjected to a breathalyzer test. Evidence indicated that he had purchased and consumed alcohol earlier that day and acknowledged having an ongoing drinking problem during police interviews.

A Texas Ranger explained to Kris Harrison that the firearm would only discharge if the trigger was pulled, a fact Kris acknowledged. However, local authorities and a Collin County grand jury did not indict him, citing insufficient evidence to prove intent. The grand jury’s deliberations and the police evidence reviewed have not been released publicly. Prosecutors told the family the most that could be concluded was that the gun’s muzzle was aligned with Lucy’s chest when the trigger was pulled.

Lucy’s mother, Jane Coates, along with Littler, has lodged complaints against the Prosper police department, criticizing the police investigation as insufficient and arguing that the authorities accepted Kris Harrison’s account without rigorous scrutiny. Coates expressed particular frustration that her daughter’s body was tested for alcohol and drugs with negative results, while her father was not breathalyzed.

In February 2026, senior coroner Jacqueline Devonish concluded that Kris Harrison’s act of firing the pistol at his daughter from across the room constituted gross negligence and ruled that her death should not be considered accidental. Following this, Coates has appealed to the UK government, seeking intervention to encourage US authorities to reopen the case. She has also expressed dissatisfaction with the support her family received from the Foreign Office, which stated it could not intervene as no prosecution had taken place.

Labour MP Sarah Hall, representing Warrington South, has echoed concerns about inadequate support for the family and called for the British government to press Texas officials to revisit the investigation. Coates intends to meet with Ed Miliband, the new foreign secretary, to discuss enhancing government assistance for families of British citizens who die abroad.

A Foreign Office spokesperson extended condolences to the family and noted a commitment to learning from such cases in order to improve consular support for bereaved families in the future.