Mother's fury as British graduate's 'killer' will not face justice after she was shot dead at her father's US home
The mother of a British graduate killed by a gunshot wound at her father's home in the US has hit out at the 'baffling' decision by police which means her 'killer' will never face justice.
A manslaughter investigation was launched in February after Lucy Harrison, 23, from Warrington, Cheshire, was killed at her father's house in Prosper, Texas, on January 10.
Coroners found she died of a gunshot wound to the chest and she 'was shot by another person' from a 'medium range'. US police investigated her death as a case of 'negligent manslaughter'.
Yesterday it was announced that no charges were being issued over the death of Ms Harrison, a decision she has described as 'beyond comprehension'.
Mother Jane, from Warrington, Cheshire, told the Sun: 'Although we have tried so hard to prepare for this moment, it is a brutal outcome to accept.
'It is baffling and beyond comprehension to us, our families and friends, that there is to be no accountability for what happened to my daughter.
'The international element, coupled with a different legal system, practice, and thresholds, makes the outcome even harder and more frustrating to accept.'
She also thanked those around her for their support and said she hopes to engage with groups in Texas working to prevent gun deaths, something she says Lucy would have been a 'fierce advocate' for.
Jane also promised to honour the words in the last Mother's Day card she received from her daughter - to 'keep mumming it'.
The former Manchester Metropolitan University student died the day she was shot at 3.47 pm local time. A previous police report revealed there were five witnesses to the incident, including two children.
An inquest was then opened into her death at Warrington Coroners Court on February 12.
A written report following the inquest opening said: 'Ms Harrison was on holiday in the USA when she has been fatally shot with a firearm.'
A spokesperson for Prosper Police Department said the case had gone through the courts in the US with 'no prosecution'.
An autopsy report from Chester Gwin, MD assistant county medical examiner for Collin County, found she died as a result of a single gunshot wound fired by another person.
It also confirmed Lucy tested negative for alcohol and drugs and was pronounced dead at the Baylor Scott and White Medical Centre in Texas on January 10.
She was visiting her father, Kris Harrison, who lives in the state and is believed to have family in Southport.
Lucy had been due to fly back to Manchester on the day she was shot after visiting family over the Christmas period. Just hours before being shot she was posing for photographs in the snow.
A tribute from Lucy's mother and boyfriend, released by Cheshire Police, said: 'Lucy was life. She lived it fiercely and fearlessly, not being afraid to feel all that life has to offer. Lucy unashamedly loved – she had a huge capacity to love and be loved.
'She was the embodiment of wonderful contradictions; she adored travel and being away, experiencing new places and cultures, yet at the same time, she loved nothing more than snuggling up in her pyjamas with her candles on at home.
'She could be dramatic and elaborate situations like it was the end of the world, yet she could also be straight talking and not afraid to have bold conversations.
'She was truly thriving in life and although this gives us great comfort, we are utterly heartbroken at the loss of our beautiful, gorgeous Luce.'
An inquest hearing is set to take place at Cheshire Coroner's Court on Museum Street, Warrington on October 29.
Following her death in February, Prosper police identified a suspect and five witnesses.
A heavily-redacted police report from the Prosper Police Department at the time confirmed the case was being investigated as a 'criminally negligent homicide'.
The document, which was seen by MailOnline, said a 'suspect' had been identified in the case, as well as five witnesses, two of whom are minors.
The family have requested that, if desired, donations be made to Peace and Mind UK - a charity based in Lucy's hometown founded in memory of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey.
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