On a quiet evening in Lakeland, Florida, a domestic dispute turned deadly when 47-year-old Jason Kenney shot his 38-year-old wife, critically wounded their 13-year-old stepdaughter, and then took his own life. The tragedy unfolded after a heated argument over whether to keep watching Monday Night Football, with Kenney’s favorite team, the San Francisco 49ers, already leading the game against the Indianapolis Colts.
## The Game and the Argument
According to a Polk County Sheriff’s statement, Kenney had been drinking during the evening. At about 11 p.m., when the 49ers were well ahead, Crystal Kenney told her husband she no longer wanted to watch football. The disagreement escalated quickly, and the couple’s 12-year-old son was forced to seek help.
## The 12-Year-Old’s Warning
The boy told his mother to call 911 and then, as he was leaving the house, heard a gunshot. The call to the police prompted deputies to respond to the Kenney residence in Lakeland.
## Deputies’ Discovery
When the officers arrived, they found Crystal Kenney’s body and the baby girl asleep in her crib, unharmed. The 13-year-old stepdaughter was found critically wounded, having been shot twice in the face. According to Sheriff Grady Judd, the girl “intended to kill her,” but she managed to speak to investigators after the shooting.
## The Stepdaughter’s Survival
The teenager told investigators, “I begged him, don’t shoot me, don’t shoot me, don’t shoot me” before the gunfire. She is expected to survive the injuries.
## Sheriff Judd’s Report
Judd said the shooter fled the scene, called his sister in upstate New York, and confessed, “I’ve done something very, very bad, very bad” and “this is the last time you’ll ever talk to me.” He added, “You’ll see me on the news, but I am not going to jail. I’m not going to jail for the rest of my life.”
## The Shooter’s Final Calls
Deputies later tracked Kenney to his late father’s home. They heard a single gunshot from a shed on the property, indicating the man had taken his own life.
## The Undated Note
Back at the Kenney house, deputies found an undated note from Crystal Kenney addressed to her husband. In the note she wrote, “You know you’re drinking, you’re using cocaine again,” and added, “This is not the way the family should be. You need God.” The note’s timing could not be determined.
## Domestic Violence Allegations
Crystal Kenney’s family stated she had been a regular victim of domestic violence by her husband. However, there had been no prior reports to local authorities, Judd said.
## Sheriff Judd’s Reflection
Judd expressed that the only thing Kenney did right that night was to shoot himself after the horrible deeds, and he declined to use “sinister” language.
## Family’s Response
Stephanie Rourie, the victim’s sister, told NBC affiliate WFLA, “I would tell my sister that I’m sorry that this happened to you. You didn’t deserve this. I promise I will love your babies so hard.” She added, “The world deserves to know your story and the type of person you were. Her babies will never not know the type of mother she was. The love and the strength she had for them. They will know that. That will never stop.”
## Support Resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, you can call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text START to 8788.
## Takeaways
– A domestic dispute over a football game escalated into a fatal shooting.
– The 13-year-old stepdaughter survived after being shot twice.
– The perpetrator killed himself after the shootings.
The tragedy underscores the importance of addressing domestic conflict promptly and the devastating consequences that can arise when it is ignored.
