Police say Jason Kenney, 47, shot and killed his wife, Crystal Kenney, on Dec. 22 after an argument about a Monday NFL game, then later died by suicide. A 13-year-old stepdaughter was wounded and is recovering in hospital; a 12-year-old son and a 1-year-old daughter were unharmed. Kenney called his sister to say he had 'done something' wrong before driving to his father's property, where deputies say he fatally shot himself. Investigators found a note from Crystal urging her husband to seek help; the surviving children are now with grandparents.
Florida Man Kills Wife, Wounds Stepdaughter After NFL-Game Dispute; Later Dies By Suicide
Florida man kills wife, shoots stepdaughter over NFL game argument before taking own life
A domestic dispute over a Monday-night NFL game ended in a fatal shooting and an apparent suicide in Polk County, Florida, authorities said. On Dec. 22, 47-year-old Jason Kenney allegedly shot and killed his wife, Crystal Kenney, and later fatally shot himself after fleeing the scene, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said at a press conference.
Jason Kenney killed himself after fatally shooting his wife and wounding her daughter during an argument over a football game, authorities said.
According to investigators, the confrontation began when Crystal asked her husband to turn off the San Francisco 49ers–Indianapolis Colts broadcast. Sheriff Judd said Kenney had been drinking and the argument escalated. As the situation deteriorated, Crystal instructed her 12-year-old son to call 911.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd and Polk County Schools Superintendent Fred Heid announced Thursday that 24 students had been arrested since the start of the school year for making written threats.
The boy ran to a neighbor’s home after hearing gunfire. Responding deputies discovered Crystal Kenney dead inside the home and a 13-year-old girl — the couple’s stepdaughter — who had been shot in the shoulder and the face. The teenager was transported to a hospital and is reported to be recovering.
Polk County Sheriff's Office car
The 12-year-old son was unharmed. A 1-year-old daughter belonging to Jason and Crystal was found asleep in her crib and was also uninjured, deputies said.
After the shooting, Jason Kenney left the home and called his sister in upstate New York, telling her he had 'done something' wrong and that it would be the last time they spoke, Sheriff Judd said. Kenney later drove to his father’s property, where deputies located him in a shed. As officers attempted to remove him, he shot himself and later died.
Investigators conducting a search of the family residence recovered a handwritten note Crystal had addressed to her husband urging him to seek help. Sheriff Judd read a passage stating, 'You're drinking, you're using cocaine again. This is not the way the family should be. You need God.'
"The entire family was destroyed," Sheriff Judd said, noting the emotional impact on investigators who found a Christmas tree with presents beneath it at the scene.
Surviving children have been placed in the custody of grandparents while investigators continue to gather evidence and determine the full circumstances surrounding the killings.
