LONDON - A British woman was fatally shot by her own father while visiting his home in Texas, United States, after they were reported to have argued about United States (US) President Donald Trump on the day of the incident.
British media reported that the victim, Lucy Harrison, 23, from Warrington, Cheshire, was shot in the chest by her father, Kris at his home in Prosper, near Dallas, on Jan 10, 2025.
Local police initially investigated Lucy’s death as an involuntary manslaughter case and no criminal charges were brought against Kris after a Collin County grand jury decided not to indict him.
The matter was revealed during inquest proceedings at the Cheshire Coroner’s Court in England, when the victim’s boyfriend, Sam Littler, told the court that Lucy and her father were involved in a major argument over American politics, particularly about Trump, who was then preparing to be inaugurated for a second term as president.
According to Littler, Lucy often felt uncomfortable and angry when her father talked about gun ownership, an issue that frequently caused tension between them.
The inquest was also told that Kris, who moved to the US when Lucy was still young, had previously undergone rehabilitation for alcohol addiction.
In a written statement to the court, Kris admitted that he had resumed drinking on the day of the incident and had consumed about 500 millilitres of white wine.
Littler told the court that on the morning of the incident, Lucy had asked her father during the argument:
"How would you feel if I were in that situation and became a victim of sexual assault?"
However, her father’s reply, that it would not bother him too much because he had two other daughters, deeply distressed Lucy before she ran upstairs.
According to Littler, about 30 minutes before they were due to leave for the airport, Lucy was in the kitchen when her father held her hand and took her to a downstairs bedroom.
Shortly after, Littler heard a loud gunshot before Kris began screaming for his wife.
"I went into the room and saw Lucy lying on the floor near the bathroom door, while Kris was just screaming uncontrollably," he said.
In his statement, Kris claimed that he and his daughter had been watching news about gun violence before he told Lucy that he owned a firearm and asked whether she wanted to see it.
He then took Lucy into the bedroom to show her a semi-automatic 9mm Glock pistol kept in a bedside cabinet.
Kris said the gun had been bought years earlier for family security reasons and denied previously discussing gun ownership with his daughter.
He claimed that as he lifted the pistol to show her, a sudden discharge occurred and Lucy immediately collapsed to the floor. He also admitted he was unsure whether his finger was on the trigger at the time.
The inquest also heard testimony from police officer Luciana Escalera, who said there was the smell of alcohol on Kris' breath when officers arrived at the scene.
Closed-circuit television footage also showed Kris buying two 500-millilitre boxes of Chardonnay wine at a convenience store about an hour before the incident.
The inquest proceedings were adjourned to Wednesday, with the coroner’s official decision expected to be announced afterward. – Agencies