A Texas grand jury has declined to file criminal charges against a man who fatally shot his daughter following a dispute over politics and guns, according to legal records and court proceedings. Investigators in Prosper, Collin County, Texas, determined that no indictment would be returned forKris Harrison, the 51‑year‑old man who shot his 23‑year‑old daughter, Lucy Harrison, inside the family home on Jan. 10, 2025.
Ano‑bill decision from a grand jurymeans prosecutors presented evidence to jurors, but theyoptednot to charge him with manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide under Texas law. This effectively ends criminal prosecution under state procedures unless new evidence emerges.
Theshootingwas the culmination of an argument, reportedly about the then‑incoming presidential inauguration ofDonald Trumpand gun ownership, testimony in a later inquest revealed. Lucy, who lived in Warrington, England, was a British national visiting her father and preparing to return home when the incident occurred.
Law enforcement in Prosper initially classified the case as a homicide and conducted a standard inquiry, gathering forensic evidence and witness statements at the scene. The handgun involved, a Glock 9 mm semi-automatic pistol, was recovered and analysed by investigators. However, after review and presentation to a Collin County grand jury, the panel concluded that the evidence did not meet the threshold required for criminal charges under Texas statutes. That no-bill means the father will not face prosecution in the state's criminal courts.
The Texas father who fatally shot his daughter after an argument about President Trump won’t face charges because the grand jury that heard his case hails from a gun-loving, conservative part of the state, a legal expert told The Post.https://t.co/K0rk3gUW7lpic.twitter.com/M2QgCPDr6d
Under Texas Penal Code Chapter 9, deadly force can be justified if an individual reasonably believes it is necessary to protect themselves from imminent unlawful force. Texas also applies'Stand Your Ground' and Castle Doctrineprinciples, allowing residents to use force in their own homes without a duty to retreat. Prosecutors would have needed to disprove any reasonable basis for self-defence or accident to obtain an indictment.
Officials with the Collin County District Attorney's Office and the Prosper Police Department have not publicly released detailed charging decisions or internal analysis. A Prosper police spokesperson hassaidthe case was referred to prosecutors after the initial investigation, but typically declines to comment further when matters return no charge.
The absence of criminal charges in Texas stands in stark contrast to the legal conclusion reached in Britain. In February 2026, aUK coroner's inquestin Cheshire Coroner's Court found that Lucy's death amounted to unlawful killing on the grounds of gross negligence manslaughter. The inquest, a fact-finding proceeding under English law for deaths abroad involving British nationals, does not itself impose criminal penalties but explores responsibility and circumstances.
The inquest included testimony fromLucy's boyfriend, Sam Littler, who described a sharp argument between father and daughter earlier on Jan. 10 about Trump and related issues. The dispute reportedly escalated after Lucy challenged her father with a hypothetical question about sexual assault linked to national news events, which Littler said visibly upset her. Shortly before the fatal incident, he said his girlfriend was led by her father into a bedroom in the home where the handgun was stored, and moments later he heard a loud shot.
Differences between US and UK legal systems account for divergent outcomes in this case. A grand jury's decision not to indict in Texas hinges on standards of proof and legal doctrines around self-defence and accident. The UK coroner's inquest, by contrast, operates on a civil standard of 'balance of probabilities' to determine the circumstances of death, not criminal culpability per se.
Source: International Business Times UK
