The mother of a young British woman who was fatally shot by her father in the United States following a dispute over Donald Trump has criticized the police for allegedly disregarding crucial evidence provided to them. Lucy Harrison, originally from Warrington, Cheshire, was visiting her father, Kris, in Texas when he accidentally shot her during a discussion about the President. While Kris claimed it was an accidental shooting while displaying his firearm, no charges were filed against him after being investigated for potential manslaughter.
Jane Coates, aged 49, expressed her disappointment with the police for not thoroughly examining evidence of negligence following the death of her daughter, Lucy, on January 10, 2025. Coates believes that her ex-husband did not intend to harm their child but acted irresponsibly under the influence of alcohol, a conclusion supported by a British coroner’s recent assessment.
Lucy, a fashion professional, traveled with her boyfriend, Sam Littler, to visit her father on December 28, 2024. Despite Kris’s documented history of struggling with addiction, Coates now claims in a new interview that her late daughter was let down by the authorities.
Expressing her frustration, Coates told Sky News, “I just feel she’s been so let down. I feel anger. It is incredibly frustrating because there was physical evidence there.” She highlighted the existence of a diagram in the inquest bundle indicating the gun’s position, the casing, and Lucy’s bloodstains, suggesting that Lucy was not where Kris had claimed her to be at the time of the incident.
An autopsy revealed that the bullet had struck Lucy with a downward trajectory. Cheshire Coroner Jacqueline Devonish characterized the shooting as reckless during the inquest held in February.
Despite initial investigations labeling the incident as an accident, further inquiries into possible criminally negligent homicide did not lead to Harrison’s arrest. A grand jury reviewed the case and decided against issuing an indictment.
Harrison explained that he kept a Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun for security in his bedside cabinet and claimed that the shooting was unintentional. Coates, speaking to the Sunday Times a year after Lucy’s death, expressed dissatisfaction with the lack of information about Harrison’s alcohol consumption on the day of the tragedy. She hopes that the coroner’s findings regarding Harrison’s recklessness under the influence of alcohol will prompt a fresh investigation by US authorities.