A tragic incident unfolded in Texas when a father accidentally shot his daughter dead during her visit from the UK. The British coroner ruled that the father, Kris Harrison, was a “teaser” who showed his gun to rile his daughter during a politically-charged argument about firearms. The incident occurred at Harrison’s home in Prosper, Texas, where he fatally shot his daughter Lucy, 23, with his Glock 9mm pistol.
Lucy, who resided in Warrington, England, was preparing to return home from the US on January 10, 2025, when the heartbreaking event took place. Harrison, described as a “functioning alcoholic,” claimed that the gun “just went off” during an argument with Lucy about guns. He stated that Lucy had asked to see the gun, which he kept locked in his bedside cabinet. However, the coroner cast doubt on Harrison’s account, noting that Lucy disliked guns and considered them a danger to the family.
The coroner highlighted that the trajectory of the bullet, which struck Lucy through the chest from across the bedroom, contradicted Harrison’s version of events. It was deemed unlikely that Lucy would have requested to see the gun, given her aversion to firearms. The senior coroner, Jacqueline Devonish, concluded that Harrison was teasing his daughter with the gun and failed to realize it was loaded when he pulled the trigger.
Harrison had a history of alcoholism, having suffered an “alcoholic seizure” in 2023 that resulted in an induced coma. On the day of the incident, he had consumed a significant amount of alcohol but claimed he did not believe he was drunk when the shooting occurred. The Texas grand jury ruled Lucy’s death as accidental in June, a decision that left her mother, Jane Coates, baffled and in disbelief.
Coates expressed her shock and grief over the tragic loss of her daughter, emphasizing that she never imagined Lucy would meet such a fate in the US. She criticized Texas gun laws for failing to protect her daughter and questioned how Harrison, who had no criminal record, was able to legally own a firearm without a license for self-defense.
As the family continues to grapple with the aftermath of the incident, Coates described the past year as filled with sorrow and a relentless struggle for justice. The Prosper Police Department did not provide immediate comments on the matter, leaving lingering questions about the circumstances surrounding Lucy’s untimely death.
