The BBC reported on the 11th that a 23-year-old woman from Warrington, Cheshire, UK, was shot dead in the chest by her father while visiting him in Texas, USA, in January 2025. The case was recently the subject of an inquest in the UK, where it was revealed in court that the father and daughter had a heated argument earlier that day over political issues related to US President Trump. The father, possibly intoxicated, is suspected to have accidentally killed his daughter while showing his gun.
The deceased, Lucy Harrison, was killed in Texas on January 10. Her boyfriend, Sam Littler, testified in court that the two were vacationing in the US and visiting Lucy’s father, Chris Harrison. During their stay, father and daughter had a “heated argument” regarding Trump’s upcoming second term.
Littler noted that Lucy had always been unhappy about her father's enthusiasm for discussing gun ownership. The court also revealed that Chris Harrison had moved to the US years earlier and had received treatment for alcoholism. On the day of the incident, Chris Harrison admitted he had drunk about 500 milliliters of white wine and experienced a relapse.
According to testimonies in court, the father and daughter argued on the morning of January 10. Lucy asked her father, “If I were that girl who was sexually assaulted, how would you feel?” He replied that he had two other daughters living with him, so he would not be too upset. Littler described that Lucy broke down emotionally after hearing this and ran upstairs.
By the afternoon, Lucy and her father were together in a downstairs bedroom. Littler suddenly heard a loud bang and ran into the room, where he found Lucy collapsed on the floor in front of the bathroom door, with Chris Harrison beside her, crying uncontrollably.
The two watched news on gun issues; father caused tragedy while showing pistol
According to a written statement Chris Harrison submitted to the court, the two were watching a news report on gun crime at the time. He mentioned that he owned a pistol and asked his daughter if she wanted to see it. When he raised the pistol to show her, it suddenly discharged, and Lucy immediately collapsed. He said he couldn’t remember whether his finger was on the trigger at that moment. In a statement issued through his lawyer, Chris Harrison said he fully accepts the consequences of his actions.
BPINews reported that a grand jury ultimately decided not to press criminal charges.