Florida Teen Survives Bullet Through Head as 'Christmas Miracle' After Stepdad's NFL Game Rage Kills Mother

A 13-year-old girl in Florida somehow survived a bullet that went straight through her head after her drunk stepdad went on a deadly rampage following an argument over a Monday Night Football game. Joseph Kenney, 47, shot his wife, Crystal, dead and fired twice at the teenager before killing himself - all because he was asked to turn off an NFL match.

The teen was found in her bedroom with gunshot wounds to her head and shoulder after Kenney went on his rampage late Monday night at their Lakeland home. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd couldn't hide his amazement when describing how she'd survived. 'We later learned the bullet in the face hit her on the bridge of the nose [then] went straight up and out the top of her head,' Judd said at a press conference. 'That's a Christmas miracle.'

'Don't Shoot Me'

Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition, the girl is now alert and talking. She's even been able to tell investigators exactly what happened, including the horrifying moment she begged her stepdad not to shoot. 'I begged him, "Don't shoot me, don't shoot me, don't shoot me" — and he shot me anyway,' she told police, according to Sheriff Judd.

The whole situation started around 23:00 when Crystal asked her husband to change the channel from the San Francisco 49ers versus the Indianapolis Colts game. Kenney had been drinking and couldn't handle being told to switch off his team. The argument became heated to the point that Crystal told her 12-year-old son to ring 911. The boy ran to a neighbour's house when he heard gunshots.

A Family Destroyed

Police found Crystal dead and her daughter with two gunshot wounds. The couple's 1-year-old baby was still in her crib, asleep and unharmed. The 12-year-old who fled is also Kenney's stepchild and was not injured.

Kenney did not remain at the scene. He drove to his deceased father's house, which is currently in probate, and hid in a shed. Before police caught up with him, he rang his sister in upstate New York with a chilling message: 'I did something terrible and this is the last time you'll ever talk to me. You'll see me on the news, but I am not going to jail,' the sheriff said.

When police surrounded the property and tried getting Kenney to come out of the shed, they heard a single gunshot. He had killed himself with a shot to the forehead. That's not uncommon, as many victims try handling these situations privately, often with tragic results.

A History of Abuse and Substance Problems

Back at the family home, deputies found something telling—an open note that Crystal had written to her husband at some point before the shooting. 'You're drinking, you're using cocaine again. This is not the way the family should be. You need God,' it read, according to Sheriff Judd.

Relatives had told police that Kenney beat his wife previously, though there's no record of officers ever being called to the house for domestic violence.

Sheriff Judd painted a heartbreaking picture of what his homicide detectives walked into. 'The entire family was destroyed,' he said. 'Our homicide detectives are distraught. When you go in there, there is a beautiful Christmas tree with lots of Christmas presents under it, just like the nuclear family should be.'

Children Left to Pick Up Pieces

The surviving children are now with their grandparents, trying to make sense of losing their mum, nearly losing their sister, and having their stepfather turn into a murderer over a football game during Christmas week. The 13-year-old faces a long road ahead, both physically recovering from being shot twice and mentally processing what happened.

Her survival really is extraordinary. A bullet entering through the bridge of your nose and exiting out the top of your head should be fatal, or at minimum cause severe brain damage. The fact that she is conscious, coherent, and able to give detailed statements is genuinely miraculous.

The Broader Domestic Violence Crisis

This case highlights how quickly domestic situations can turn deadly, especially when you mix alcohol, drugs, and easy access to guns. According to Everytown for Gun Safety, hundreds of women are shot and killed by an intimate partner every year, and nearly 6 million women reported having a gun used on them by an intimate partner.

Crystal Kenney knew her husband had problems—her note makes that clear. But knowing there's a problem and being able to escape it safely are two very different things. Domestic violence experts say the most dangerous moments are often when victims try to leave or confront their abusers, which makes even something as simple as asking to change the telly potentially life-threatening.