A British coroner has ruled that a 23-year-old woman was unlawfully killed by her father during a shooting at his home in Prosper, Texas, bringing renewed attention to the tragic incident that occurred in January 2025. The ruling was delivered at an inquest held at Cheshire Coroner’s Court in the United Kingdom, where senior coroner Jacqueline Devonish concluded that Lucy Harrison’s death amounted to unlawful killing on the basis of gross negligence manslaughter.
Lucy, from Warrington, England, had been visiting her father, Kris Harrison, in Texas with her boyfriend shortly before the incident. The court heard that the shooting took place on 10 January 2025, just days before she was due to return to the UK. Evidence presented during the inquest indicated that her father had been drinking earlier in the day and later took his daughter into a bedroom where he kept a Glock semi-automatic handgun. Moments later, a single shot was fired, fatally wounding Lucy in the chest.
Kris Harrison maintained that the gun discharged accidentally while he was showing it to his daughter. However, the coroner rejected this explanation, stating that firing the weapon in the manner described would have required him to point the gun and pull the trigger without ensuring it was not loaded. The coroner described this as a reckless act and concluded that his failure to properly check the firearm amounted to gross negligence.
The inquest also heard that Lucy and her father had argued earlier that day, reportedly about issues including gun ownership. While the exact details of the argument were not central to the legal finding, the coroner emphasised that basic firearm safety responsibilities had not been met.
In the United States, a Collin County grand jury previously declined to bring criminal charges against Kris Harrison. Under British law, however, the coroner’s inquest serves to determine the cause and circumstances of death rather than to impose criminal penalties. The unlawful killing conclusion does not automatically trigger prosecution in Texas, but it formally records the death as the result of gross negligence.
Lucy’s mother welcomed the verdict, saying it acknowledged the seriousness of what had happened and provided a measure of recognition for her daughter’s death. The case has prompted discussion on both sides of the Atlantic about firearm safety, accountability, and the legal complexities that arise when fatal incidents involve multiple jurisdictions.
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