A British woman visiting her father in Texas died from a gunshot wound following a politically charged argument about President Trump, yet authorities decided not to prosecute the man who pulled the trigger.
Lucy Harrison, 23, was shot in the chest on Jan. 10 at her father’s residence in Prosper, Texas.
The town sits approximately 35 miles north of Dallas.
The shooting occurred just days before President Trump’s second inauguration.
Harrison had traveled from the United Kingdom with her boyfriend to visit family in the United States.
Kris Harrison, the victim’s father, relocated to America when his daughter was young. He has remained in the country while Lucy grew up in Britain, according to the BBC.
During an inquest, Kris Harrison acknowledged he struggled with alcohol addiction and had experienced a relapse.
On the day of the fatal shooting, he consumed three glasses of wine.
Local authorities initially examined the case as potential manslaughter. However, a Collin County grand jury ultimately chose not to bring criminal charges against the father.
The deadly confrontation stemmed from ongoing political disagreements between father and daughter.
Sam Littler, Lucy’s boyfriend who accompanied her on the trip, provided testimony about the events leading up to the shooting.
According to Littler, the pair frequently clashed over Kris Harrison’s conservative political views.
Lucy particularly objected to her father’s decision to purchase a Glock 9mm handgun several years prior, according to media reports.
The fatal day began with Lucy questioning her father about a hypothetical situation involving a sexual assault victim.
She asked him directly how he would respond if she were the woman in such a scenario.
Kris Harrison’s reply proved deeply upsetting to his daughter.
He allegedly told her the situation would not trouble him significantly because he had two other daughters living with him.
The exact connection to President Trump in their exchange remains unclear. However, the father’s response caused Lucy to become visibly distressed and she retreated upstairs.
Hours later, as Lucy and Littler prepared to depart for the airport, Kris Harrison took his daughter’s hand.
He guided her into his ground floor bedroom.
Fifteen seconds passed before Littler heard a loud bang.
Kris Harrison immediately began screaming for his wife, Heather.
“I remember running into the room and Lucy was lying on the floor near the entrance to the bathroom and Kris was just screaming, just sort of nonsense,” Littler recounted to the BBC.
Kris Harrison told police he had been watching television news coverage.
After viewing a segment about gun violence, he decided to show Lucy his firearm.
“As I lifted the gun to show her I suddenly heard a loud bang. I did not understand what had happened. Lucy immediately fell,” Harrison stated to authorities.
He could not confirm whether his finger was on the trigger when the weapon discharged.
Harrison disclosed his history with alcohol problems, including previous rehabilitation treatment. He confirmed he had been drinking prior to the shooting.
Officer Luciana Escalera, who responded to the emergency call, documented detecting alcohol on Kris Harrison’s breath.
Her observation appeared in the official evidence report.
Through his legal representative, Kris Harrison issued a statement accepting responsibility.
“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,” he said.
Jane Coates, Lucy’s mother, memorialized her daughter’s vibrant personality. She described Lucy as a “real force of life” who cared deeply about her beliefs.
“She was passionate about things,” Coates said. “She loved to have debates about things that meant a lot to her.”
The grand jury’s decision means Kris Harrison will face no criminal prosecution for his daughter’s death.
Lucy Harrison died from her wounds at the scene in her father’s home.
