Deadly Argument Over TV
A Florida man fatally shot his wife and critically injured his 13-year-old stepdaughter before killing himself, authorities said. The deadly incident began after an argument over what to watch on television.
Jason Kenney, 47, had been watching his favorite team, the San Francisco 49ers, when his 38-year-old wife, Crystal Kenney, said she no longer wanted to watch football.
Shooting and Immediate Aftermath
The Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Jason had been drinking that evening in Lakeland. Around 11 p.m., the couple argued over changing the channel. The argument quickly escalated.
Crystal told her 12-year-old son to go to a neighbor and call 911. As he left, he heard a gunshot, authorities said.
Deputies found Crystal dead and her 13-year-old daughter critically wounded. The couple’s baby daughter was asleep and unharmed. Sheriff Grady Judd called it “a Christmas miracle” that the teenager survived.
“She was shot twice in the face but can speak and is expected to survive,” Judd said. “She told investigators she begged him not to shoot, but he did anyway.”
Shooter Flees and Takes Own Life
After the attack, Jason called his sister in New York. He told her, “I’ve done something very, very bad,” and warned, “This is the last time you’ll ever talk to me.”
Authorities tracked him to his late father’s home. They heard a single gunshot coming from the shed. Jason had taken his own life.
Signs of Domestic Struggle
At the Kenney home, deputies found a note from Crystal addressing her husband’s alcohol and drug use. She wrote, “This is not the way the family should be. You need God.”
Authorities do not know when she wrote the note. Sheriff Judd noted that Crystal had been a regular victim of domestic violence, though no previous reports had been filed.
“Frankly, the only thing he did right that night was shoot himself after those horrible deeds,” Judd said.
Family Remembers Crystal
Crystal’s sister, Stephanie Rourie, said she will honor her memory. “I will love her babies so hard and make sure they know the type of mother she was,” she said. “Her strength and love will never be forgotten.”
