You learn that a father told police the gun “just went off” after his daughter was fatally shot hours before a planned flight home, and you want the facts without sensationalism. A coroner later concluded the death was unlawful and found the father likely pulled the trigger while joking with his daughter, even though he said the weapon discharged accidentally.
This piece breaks down what happened, when it happened, and what the inquest left unresolved, so you can understand the timeline and the outstanding legal and factual questions. Follow the account to see how witness statements, body-worn camera footage, and the coroner’s findings shape the ongoing conversation about responsibility and accountability.
Timeline and Key Details of the Shooting
A 23‑year‑old woman was shot in her father’s Texas home the afternoon before she planned to fly back to the UK. Police bodycam and court evidence later recorded statements, family reactions, and an inquest finding of unlawful killing.
The Fatal Incident Before the Scheduled Flight
Lucy Harrison had travelled to Prosper, Texas, to visit her father, Kris Harrison, and was due to fly home later that day. Witness testimony at the inquest and emergency calls place the shooting in the ground‑floor bedroom where Kris kept a Glock 9mm in a bedside cabinet.
According to accounts, an argument earlier in the day involved US politics and at some point Kris led Lucy into the bedroom. He later told officers the gun discharged as he produced it; Lucy collapsed with a single gunshot wound to the chest. Medical evidence presented at the inquest stated the bullet passed through her heart.
Police Response and Initial Investigation
Local police arrived after a 911 call placed by a family friend, Sam Littler, who discovered Lucy after she fell. Officers recorded bodycam footage of Kris speaking to them at the scene. They documented the scene and Lucy’s injuries, but the inquest highlighted that officers did not take a blood alcohol or breath test from Kris despite smelling alcohol on his breath.
A Collin County grand jury declined to indict Kris on criminal charges, though a coroner later ruled the death unlawful on grounds of gross negligence manslaughter. Investigators noted the gun had been kept in the bedroom without a licence required in the UK, but lawful under Texas home‑defence rules.
Statements Made by Kris Harrison
Kris Harrison told responding officers, repeatedly, that “the gun just went off” as he showed the weapon. He said he had taken the Glock out to show Lucy and that it discharged as he pulled it from its storage. He admitted to drinking wine earlier that day in statements submitted to the inquest.
At the inquest he said he had bought the pistol for a sense of security and maintained he did not understand what had happened when the shot fired. Coroner Jacqueline Devonish concluded Kris pointed the gun at chest height and pulled the trigger, describing the actions as reckless on the balance of probabilities.
Inside the Scene: Family Reactions and Impact
Lucy’s boyfriend, Sam Littler, who had travelled with her, told the inquest he heard the earlier argument and discovered Lucy after she was shot. Family members in court reacted emotionally when the coroner announced unlawful killing, with Lucy’s mother, Jane Coates, criticizing local police for not testing Kris for alcohol.
Relatives say Lucy disliked guns and would not have asked to see one. The inquest testimony and the coroner’s comments emphasized how the family’s grief combined with questions about gun storage, alcohol use, and police procedures in the hours after the shooting. For Lucy’s loved ones, the incident ended a planned return flight and launched a prolonged fight for answers.
Inquest Findings and Ongoing Questions
The coroner found the death to be unlawful and highlighted conflicting accounts, disputed timelines, and unanswered legal questions that remain central to the case.
Unlawful Killing Conclusion by Coroner Jacqueline Devonish
Coroner Jacqueline Devonish recorded that Lucy was unlawfully killed after reviewing testimony, body-worn camera footage, and statements. Devonish concluded on the balance of probabilities that Kris Harrison had pointed the Glock at his daughter as a “teasing” act, and that the trigger was pulled while a round remained in the chamber despite the magazine being removed.
Devonish referenced evidence about Harrison’s drinking and prior treatment for alcohol addiction when assessing his state of mind the day Lucy died. The coroner rejected Kris Harrison’s claim that Lucy asked to see the gun, noting testimony that she disliked firearms and would not have requested to handle one.
Discrepancies in Accounts and Family Testimonies
Witness testimony diverged on key details: Harrison’s written statement said they had been watching gun-related news and that the weapon “just went off,” while other witnesses, including Lucy’s boyfriend, said nothing on TV concerned guns and that Lucy feared guns. The boyfriend described Lucy as worried about her father’s drinking and volatile behavior, which contrasts with Harrison’s account that minimized intoxication.
Police bodycam audio captures Harrison saying the gun “just went off,” but the inquest heard evidence suggesting the gun was removed from its lockbox and handled in a bedroom. Family members gave differing impressions of Lucy’s relationship with her father and whether she would have asked to see a firearm, producing unresolved questions about motive and context.
Legal Decisions and Lack of Prosecution
Texas authorities investigated the shooting as a possible criminally negligent homicide (manslaughter), but a grand jury declined to indict Kris Harrison. That decision leaves a legal gap between the coroner’s unlawful killing determination and any criminal penalty under U.S. law.
The discrepancy—an English coroner’s finding versus a U.S. grand jury decline—raises procedural and jurisdictional questions for Lucy’s family and the public. It also prompts scrutiny of investigative steps taken by local police before and after the shooting, including evidence collection and charging decisions.
Mother Jane Coates’ Criticism of the Investigation
Lucy’s mother, Jane Coates, publicly criticized the Prosper Police Department’s handling of the investigation and welcomed the coroner’s ruling as giving Lucy “her voice back.” Coates has questioned whether investigators fully pursued leads and whether the initial response and evidence-gathering met standards expected in a death involving a firearm.
She repeatedly stressed the family’s view that Lucy would not have sought out the gun and that inconsistencies in the official account require further scrutiny. Coates’ statements have kept public attention on procedural transparency and accountability in the cross-border legal aftermath.
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