A violent domestic dispute, reportedly sparked by an argument over a televised NFL game, ended in a horrific tragedy in Florida this week, leaving a mother dead, a teenage girl critically wounded, and the alleged perpetrator dead by suicide.
A Fatal Altercation Over Football
According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the incident occurred on Sunday, December 26, 2025. Sheriff Grady Judd stated that 47-year-old Jason Kenney had been drinking when his wife, Crystal, asked him to turn off the San Francisco 49ers versus Indianapolis Colts game. The request escalated into a fight.
During the altercation, Crystal instructed her 12-year-old son to call 911. The boy fled to a neighbour's house upon hearing gunshots. When deputies arrived at the family home, they discovered Crystal deceased. Kenney's 13-year-old stepdaughter was found with gunshot wounds to her face and shoulder and was transported to a hospital in critical condition.
A Teen's Harrowing Plea for Mercy
Sheriff Judd revealed that the wounded teenager was able to recount the terrifying ordeal to investigators. "I begged him, don't shoot me, don't shoot me, don't shoot me, and he shot me anyway," the girl told authorities, as relayed by Judd.
Miraculously, the couple's 12-year-old son was unharmed. The couple's one-year-old daughter, found asleep in a crib, was also physically unhurt.
Aftermath and a Plea for Help Found
After the shootings, Jason Kenney fled the scene. He reportedly called his sister, telling her he had "done something" bad and that it would be their last conversation. Law enforcement tracked him to his father's property.
Officers found Kenney in a shed on the property, where he had died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
In the aftermath, investigators searching the family home found a poignant note written by Crystal to her husband. The note, described by Sheriff Judd, urged Kenney to seek help for substance abuse, stating, "You're drinking, you're using cocaine again. This is not the way the family should be. You need God."
Sheriff Judd painted a heartbreaking scene of a family destroyed, noting a beautifully decorated Christmas tree with presents underneath. "The entire family was destroyed," Judd said. "Our homicide detectives are distraught."
The surviving children are now in the custody of their grandparents. The investigation into the full circumstances of the tragedy continues.
