Coroner to hold inquest into British woman, 23, who was shot 'by another person' at her father's US home - as it's confirmed no one will be charged over her death
Lucy Harrison, 23, died on Friday, January 10, at her father's home in Prosper, Texas.
An inquest into the circumstances of her death opened in Warrington, Cheshire, back in February but was adjourned until this week.
At a hearing on August 20, Cheshire coroner Victoria Davies confirmed a two-day inquest into her death will be held on February 10, 2026.
A coroner's officer told the hearing: 'Lucy was on holiday in the USA.
'She was fatally shot with a firearm. The death is unnatural.
'Criminal proceedings have now concluded and no further action is to be taken.'
Coroner Davies said all the details had been 'noted and agreed'.
In June, five months after Lucy's death, the Collin County District Attorney's Office confirmed that a Grand Jury had issued a 'no-bill' in the case, meaning criminal charges would not be brought.
Unlike in England, where the Crown Prosecution Service decides whether to prosecute a case, in some US states a 'Grand Jury' of citizens is convened which reviews evidence and decide whether to bring a prosecution.
The hearings are conducted in secret, so details of who could have been charged have not been released.
A 'no-bill' is issued when a grand jury decides there is not enough evidence of guilt to support a criminal charge against the accused person.
In January, a local police report recorded the case as 'criminal negligent homicide', and identified one suspect and six witnesses.
Lucy's mum, Jane Coates, previously said the decision not to charge a suspect was 'baffling and beyond comprehension'.
In a previously released tribute to Lucy, she said: 'On June 10, exactly five months after my daughter was shot and killed in America, the Grand Jury sat and reviewed Lucy's case.
'They concluded that the evidence did not meet the threshold for criminal charges, meaning that, as far as they are concerned, there will be no criminal charges for the person who shot Lucy.
'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.
'The outpouring of love for Lucy, myself, Sam, and our families and friends, from our local community and beyond, has been overwhelming, and I cannot thank everyone enough for their ongoing support.'
'The outpouring of love for Lucy, myself, Sam, and our families and friends, from our local community and beyond, has been overwhelming, and I cannot thank everyone enough for their ongoing support.
'I have only just been able to look online and read some of the comments on [local paper] the Warrington Guardian's Facebook page, and I was visibly moved to tears at the heartfelt comments of love and support from all parts of our community.
'Thank you to everyone who took the time to reach out with love and kindness.
'Reading comments from people who used to work alongside Lucy in her various part-time jobs, or from my own school community, who used to see Lucy pop into my school over the years, made me feel so proud of her.'
Her heartbroken mum added: 'When the time is right, I would welcome learning more from communities and groups in Texas who are working to prevent gun deaths through education, partnerships, and policy change.
'I know that Lucy would be a fierce advocate of this.
'For now, we ask for privacy while we take some time to recover as best we can from this outcome.
'I will not be commenting further until after the UK coroner's inquest.
'I miss her infectious belly laughs, her constant chatter about her dream job at Boohoo in Manchester, her requests to tickle her legs, travel plans, her tears - and there were many!
'Most of all, as her mum, I miss spending time with the absolute light of my life. It was, and still is, a privilege to be her mum.
'In the words of her final Mother's Day card to me, I'll "keep mumming it".'
Lucy had recently purchased a house with her boyfriend Sam Littler, who she met at secondary school.
Earlier this year, Sam said: 'Due to the legal proceedings over in America, Lucy's voice has been silenced, leaving myself and Jane completely heartbroken.
'This outcome has left us baffled, heartbroken, and it has been incredibly frustrating to understand the thresholds and legal system in Texas.
'These past years of my life were for one reason, and that was to put a smile on one person's face - Lucy's.
'Our whole life was planned out, and we began that first step by buying our own home.
'I was one of the very fortunate ones who met 'their person' at a very young age, and I will be forever grateful to experience that, even for just one minute.
'I know there are a lot of people here in Warrington who feel just as privileged to even know Luce in the capacity they did.
'The cheeky smile, the laugh from the heart, the stress head, and most importantly, the love.
'Luce taught me to be myself and not to care about what others think, hence why I am writing today.
'It has brought me some ease over the past few months from sharing stories of Lucy with Jane, my family, her friends, and former colleagues.
'Just seeing the amount of love on display at Lucy's funeral in St Elphins' Parish Church shows how much she meant to people, and the impact she had.
'For six months, Luce's voice has been suppressed and kept out of the view of the public.
'I would like to echo what Jane has said - when the time is right, I would welcome learning more from those who are working to prevent gun deaths in the US.
'There is so much about Luce that I miss; it is hard to even begin to put it down into words.
'Like Jane, I miss the smiles, the belly laughs, and how passionate and driven she was when she talked about her work.
'I also miss how excited she would get for our travels, and how she would plan every detail down to the minute.
'I miss how she would cry at films that really did not warrant a tear. I miss hearing her keys rattle in the door, knowing she was home from work.
'I would like to thank my friends, family, and work for helping me through the past couple of months.
'I would also like to give thanks to Chaplain John and his family for keeping me safe and secure during the traumatic period in Dallas.
'Finally, I would like to thank Jane. Thank you for raising Lucy to be the amazing young woman she was.'
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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