A 23-year-old woman was shot dead by her father at his home in Prosper, Texas, following a heated argument over US President Donald Trump and gun ownership.
The incident occurred on January 10, 2025, when Lucy Harrison, a fashion buyer from Warrington in Cheshire, travelled to Texas with her boyfriend, Sam Littler, to see her father, Kris Harrison. Sam told the Cheshire Coroner's Court that a big argument broke out between Lucy and Kris.
According to Sam, Lucy would often get upset when her father talked about owning a gun, BBC reported. During the argument, the woman, referring to Trump's controversies, asked her father, "How would you feel if I were the girl in that situation and I'd been sexually assaulted?"
Her father responded, saying that he had two other daughters who lived with him and that it "would not upset him that much." Sam said her father's response deeply hurt Lucy, saying, "She became quite upset and ran upstairs."
The inquest also heard that Lucy had previously been uncomfortable with her father owning a firearm. Sam explained that she would often become distressed during conversations about guns, particularly when her father defended his right to own one.
Lucy's mother, Jane Coates, said, "She cared. She was passionate about things. She loved to have debates about things that meant a lot to her."
Recalling the moment of the shooting day, Sam said Lucy was in the kitchen when her father took her by the hand and led her into his bedroom. Around 15 seconds later, Sam said he heard a loud bang. Shortly after that, Kris started screaming for his wife.
Sam said he immediately ran towards the bedroom. When he entered the room, he saw Lucy lying on the floor near the entrance to the bathroom. He described Kris as "just screaming, just sort of nonsense," according to Sky News.
Kris told the court that he bought the gun a few years ago because he wanted a sense of security for his family, and also claimed that he had never discussed the gun with his daughter before that day.
On the day of the incident, Kris said he lifted the gun to show it to Lucy. He described, "I suddenly heard a loud bang. I did not understand what had happened. Lucy immediately fell." He admitted that he could not remember whether his finger was on the trigger when the gun went off.
The court also heard that Kris struggled with alcohol addiction in the past. He had even gone to rehab before to get treatment for his drinking problem. He admitted to shooting his daughter. He confirmed that he consumed about 500 ml of white wine on the day of shooting.
"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," Kris said.
