Trigger Warning: This article contains details about substance abuse and suicide.
In a shocking incident, a Florida man shot and killed his wife and even attempted to kill his stepdaughter before he shot himself after he got into an argument over watching NFL games.
This is the story of 47-year-old Jason Kenney, who later killed himself after killing his wife, Crystal Kenney, on December 22. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd confirmed the news in a press conference.
Jason Kenney had been drinking all day in the shed, and as he came home to watch TV, his wife did not want to watch it. The disagreement led to an argument, which eventually became more serious as Crystal then told her 12-year-old son to call 911. The boy ran to a neighbor’s house after hearing gunshots.
Deputies found Crystal Kenney dead in the living room. Her 13-year-old daughter from Crystal’s previous relationship had been shot and was taken to the hospital, where she is currently recovering.
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“She [the stepdaughter] said, ‘I begged him, don’t shoot me, don’t shoot me, don’t shoot me, and he shot me anyway,'” Sheriff Judd said. According to The Independent, the 13-year-old girl was found with two gunshots after the attack, one on the face and the other on the shoulder.
“We later learned the bullet in the face hit her on the bridge of the nose, went straight up, and out the top of her head,” Judd said as he called it a “Christmas miracle.”
The boy was not hurt, and the couple’s 1-year-old toddler was also unharmed and found asleep in her crib. Even after committing the heinous deed, Jason Kenney left the home and called his sister in New York, telling her he had done something wrong and that it would be the last time they spoke, according to the sheriff.
Deputies later found him at his late father’s property in Lake Wales, where they heard a gunshot when he was asked to come outside from a shed, but then they found him dead inside, soaked in blood.
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Sheriff Judd claimed that the incident shattered the entire family, especially occurring so close to Christmas. Investigators also found a note written earlier by Crystal Kenney urging her husband to seek help for substance use.
“We found a note that at some time in the past, Crystal wrote, and it was open, where she told Jason, you know, ‘You’re drinking, you’re using cocaine again, this is not the way the family should be. You need God,” Grady Judd said.
Reportedly, Jason was struggling with substance addiction for some time, and even though the 47-year-old man did not hold any criminal history, this instance was not the first time that he was abusive with his family, as per neighbors. However, there were no previous calls of service from the family regarding help or any further checks.
The Sheriff further claimed that the Kenneys had a beautiful home, and as detectives, when they went inside, they saw a beautiful Christmas tree with lots of gifts under it, resembling a typical family Christmas celebration.
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According to SoberDoc data, around 8% of Floridians (about 1.5 million people) use illicit drugs at any given time. Substance abuse is one of the primary concerns in the state, affecting millions of men and women each year. Thousands seek rehabilitation treatment for it, with only a few truly coming out of the vicious loop.
Roughly 410,000 individuals experienced drug dependence in the past year. Florida’s rates of drug abuse and drug-related deaths are higher than the national average, with about 3,000 deaths annually, more than deaths from guns or car accidents, which is another form of concern for the state government.
Over 24,000 people sought treatment for alcohol addiction last year in Florida. Most were 35 or older, though some were teenagers. Some common addictive drug abuse in Florida includes prescription opioids, heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and crack cocaine, crystal meth, xanax, valium, and marijuana, whose usage rates have declined following its strict guidelines limiting its use primarily to medical purposes.
If you or someone you know is struggling with substance abuse, help is available. For support, contact the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) National Helpline at 1-800-662-HELP (4357).
