Authorities in Florida say a domestic argument tied to a Monday Night Football broadcast ended in a deadly chain of events that left a family shattered just days before Christmas.
KOMO News reports that a 47-year-old Florida man shot and killed his wife, wounded his teenage stepdaughter, and later took his own life following a dispute that erupted while an NFL game was on television. The incident occurred on December 22 at a home in Lakeland.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd identified the suspect as Jason Kenney and confirmed that his wife, Crystal Kenney, was killed at the scene. Deputies say the argument escalated after Crystal asked her husband to turn off the Monday night matchup between the San Francisco 49ers and the Indianapolis Colts.
Sheriff Judd said Kenney had been drinking as tensions rose inside the home. During the confrontation, Crystal reportedly told her 12-year-old son to call 911. Instead, the boy ran to a neighbor’s house, where he later heard gunshots.
When deputies arrived, they found Crystal dead from a gunshot wound. A 13-year-old girl, Crystal’s daughter from a previous relationship, had been shot in the face and shoulder. She was transported to the hospital and is currently recovering. Two other children—a 12-year-old boy and a 1-year-old girl—were inside the home but were not physically harmed. The baby was found asleep in her crib.
After the shooting, Jason fled the scene and drove to his late father’s property in Lake Wales. During the hours-long search, investigators say Kenney contacted his sister in New York and admitted he had “done something terrible.” Deputies eventually located him inside a shed on the property. As officers attempted to take him into custody, Kenney fatally shot himself.
During a press briefing, Judd revealed that a handwritten note from Crystal to her husband had been found inside the home. “You’re drinking, you’re using cocaine again. This is not the way the family should be. You need God,” Judd said the note read.
The surviving children are now in the care of their grandparents as the investigation concludes.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts or emotional distress, help is available. In the U.S., you can call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, to connect with trained counselors 24/7.