A legal expert has weighed in on why Kris Harrison has not faced criminal charges in the United States after fatally shooting his 23-year-old daughter, Lucy Harrison, during a heated argument.
As previously reported, Lucy, a fashion buyer from Cheshire, UK, was shot and killed on January 10, 2025, while visiting her father at his home in Prosper, Texas.
The horrific incident took place shortly before she was due to return to the UK.
Despite a UK inquest later concluding that Lucy was unlawfully killed on the grounds of gross negligence manslaughter, a grand jury in Texas issued a 'no-bill' decision in 2025, determining there was insufficient evidence to pursue charges against her father.
The Argument That Turned Deadly
According to testimony heard at Cheshire coroner’s court, tensions escalated between Lucy and her father during a discussion about Donald Trump.
The young woman had reportedly become increasingly upset about her father’s gun ownership.
Her boyfriend, Sam Littler, who had accompanied her on the trip, told the inquest that Kris had struggled with alcohol addiction in the past and that Lucy frequently argued with him about firearms.
It was reported that on the morning of January 10, Lucy and Littler were preparing to go to the airport when the political discussion became heated.
The argument intensified, and the 23-year-old went upstairs, visibly distressed.
A short time later, while in the kitchen preparing to leave, Lucy was taken into a ground-floor bedroom by her father.
Around 15 seconds later, Littler heard a loud bang.
He rushed into the room to find his girlfriend lying on the floor near the bathroom entrance, while her father was reportedly shouting incoherently and calling for his wife.
Bodycam Footage And Kris' Account
Bodycam footage from inside the home captured Kris telling cops that he had been showing his daughter his Glock semi-automatic handgun when it 'just went off'.
He claimed the two had been discussing weapons and said Lucy had asked to see the gun, supposedly having never previously spoken with him about his ownership of it.
In a statement, the father, who admitted to drinking wine earlier in the day, said: “As I lifted the gun to show her I suddenly heard a loud bang.
"I did not understand what had happened. Lucy immediately fell," per BBC News.
However, evidence presented at the inquest suggested Lucy was aware her father owned a weapon and strongly disagreed with it being in the house.
The coroner accepted that the man did not know the gun was loaded but rejected the claim that Lucy would have asked to see it, noting her opposition to firearms and belief that they posed a danger to the family.
Senior coroner Jacqueline Devonish said: "His actions have killed his own daughter and in the cold light of day it is hoped that he now recognises the risk he posed to her life in circumstances in which he had no experience of guns, had undertaken no training and had never fired a gun," cited by The Guardian.
Kris had previously said he bought the gun to give his family a 'sense of security.'
Under Texas law, he did not require a license to buy the weapon.
Police did not test him for alcohol after the shooting, despite an officer reportedly smelling alcohol on his breath.
Why Were There No Charges?
Former prosecutor turned criminal defense lawyer Lindsay Richards believes the absence of charges is tied to political factors.
The Austin-based attorney told the New York Post: "I honestly believe that the fact that he was not indicted and has not had any consequences for doing this is symptomatic of a very conservative county in Texas."
"The only thing we can boil this down to is looking at our political climate. A conservative county in Texas, and this was the result," she added.
Richards suggested that the political nature of the dispute, which involved the president and broader debates around gun laws in the United States, may have impacted the outcome.
She expressed disbelief that Kris was not charged with manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide, and added: "I also think it should be noted that he had been drinking that day as well,
"So that’s another element to this that I cannot believe was not considered in his criminal negligence. That’s obvious."
Richards, a partner at Coker and Connelly, stated that criminally negligent homicide would have been an appropriate charge based on the circumstances.
"I’ve seen cases in Texas where individuals that have been indicted for manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide for running traffic lights," she said.
"So certainly an individual taking a firearm, showing it to his daughter. And had to have been pointing it at her... that doesn’t typically happen."
She also dismissed the potential relevance of Texas self-defense laws: "We have Stand Your Ground laws, but I don’t see how they would have applied in this situation because that’s more of a self-defense [law]."
"Being in fear [for] your life. Not with your own daughter after you’ve been drinking wine and having an argument about politics."
Ongoing Inquest In The UK
The inquest into Lucy’s death has continued in Cheshire, where legal representatives for her family have raised concerns about potential bias.
Those motions were rejected by the presiding coroner, who denied calls to recuse herself.
Kris' legal team has contended that the inquest process resembled a criminal investigation, while Lucy’s family maintains he bears full responsibility for her death.
Outside the coroner’s court, Lucy’s grieving mother, Jane Coates, said her daughter had been 'failed' by Texan gun laws and decisions made by the Prosper Police Department.