The body camera footage offered a chilling glimpse into the aftermath of a tragedy – a Texas father claiming his gun “just went off” while showing it to his daughter. The moment unfolded during a tense argument, a dispute that would irrevocably shatter their lives.
Kris Harrison recounted to police, his voice unsteady, that his 23-year-old daughter, Lucy, had simply asked if he owned a firearm. He admitted to retrieving a Glock 9mm from his bedside table, and in the instant he displayed it, the weapon discharged. He insisted it was an accident, a horrifying misstep.
Harrison, who had immigrated to the U.S. from the U.K. with Lucy as a child, confessed to a recent relapse into alcoholism. He’d consumed three glasses of wine on the day of the shooting, January 10th, just hours before Lucy was scheduled to fly back to the U.K.
The released footage captured the raw emotion of the scene. Lucy’s boyfriend, Sam Littler, stood frozen, hands covering his head, as Harrison detailed the events to responding officers. The weight of disbelief and grief was palpable.
Littler later testified that the argument preceding the shooting had been heated, centered around politics. Lucy and her father held opposing views, specifically regarding then-President Donald Trump, who was on the cusp of his second inauguration. Their differing ideologies had ignited a fierce debate.
Initially, investigators explored the possibility of manslaughter charges against Harrison. However, a Texas County grand jury ultimately decided against an indictment, allowing him to walk free. His explanation – a tragic accident – was accepted at face value.
Harrison described the moment of the shooting to the Cheshire Coroner’s Court, stating he’d lifted the gun to show Lucy when a deafening bang erupted. He claimed to have been utterly confused, watching in horror as his daughter collapsed.
But Senior Coroner Jacqueline Devonish wasn’t convinced. She meticulously examined the evidence, concluding that Harrison’s account was demonstrably false. The trajectory of the bullet, piercing Lucy’s chest from across the room, indicated the gun had been deliberately pointed and fired.
Devonish stated that the circumstances suggested Harrison had been “teasing” with the weapon, unaware – or perhaps uncaring – that it was loaded. She accepted that he hadn’t realized the gun was armed, but emphasized the deliberate act of pointing it.
Harrison’s struggles with alcohol were well-documented. He had suffered a severe alcoholic seizure in 2023, requiring an induced coma. On the day of Lucy’s death, he’d consumed a significant amount of wine – 17 ounces – yet maintained he hadn’t felt intoxicated.
Despite the grand jury’s ruling of accidental death, Lucy’s mother, Jane Coates, expressed profound disbelief and anguish. She described the decision as “baffling” and “beyond comprehension,” unable to reconcile the outcome with the loss of her daughter.
