Florida Mom Dies Protecting Her Children After Husband's Violent Outburst Turns Deadly

Loved ones have since started a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds in support of the late mom's children, one of whom suffered serious injuries.

A seemingly picture-perfect family was torn apart in the most unthinkable way during the festive season last year (2025), shattering a Florida community.

Devoted and fiercely protective mother, Crystal Roure, tragically lost her life in her own home. Her grieving sister, Stephanie Roure, has spoken out about who she was and how the family is holding up after such a harrowing incident.

How a Football Game Sparked Bloodshed

As a single mom, Crystal was known for being deeply protective of her children, a trait that guided every decision she made. When she began dating Jason Kenney — a man she met through church — Crystal was cautious.

She waited an entire year before introducing him to her kids, determined to ensure their safety and stability before allowing anyone new into their lives.

"She took her time," Stephanie recently told USA Today. "She did have a happy glow that I haven't seen in a long time … My sister trusted him and fell in love with him. She finally found her happy ever after."

That sense of happiness, however, would be heartbreakingly short-lived. On December 22, 2025, just two years after Crystal married Jason, a violent argument inside their Florida home ended in tragedy.

According to the Polk County Sheriff's Office, the dispute stemmed from an argument about watching a football game just days before Christmas. What followed shocked not only the family but also the nation.

Jason fatally shot Crystal inside the home and then turned the gun on her 13-year-old daughter, shooting her in the face and shoulder. He later took his own life. "The 13-year-old girl begged not to be shot – 'Please don't shoot me. Please don't shoot me,'" Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said during a news conference the week of the attack. "And he shot her twice."

As investigators pieced together the events of that night, Crystal's final moments revealed the depth of her bravery. Authorities said the situation escalated to the point that Crystal instructed her 12-year-old son to flee the house and run to a neighbor's home to call 911, a decision that likely saved lives.

Deputies later found Crystal dead inside the residence, her teenage daughter gravely injured but alive, and Jason gone. Crystal's story, however, stretches far beyond the violence that ended her life.

Crystal Worked for More than a Paycheck... She Worked for Her Children

From an early age, she displayed determination and a strong work ethic. Stephanie recalled that Crystal excelled in school and quickly stood out after landing her first job at T.G.I. Friday's as a teenager, where she rose from hostess to server.

"What set her apart from others was she [sic] didn't just work for a paycheck … she worked for the experience," Stephanie divulged. "She worked for the knowledge. She worked to prove to herself she was able to do things and not give up."

When Crystal became a mother at 25, her priorities crystallized completely. "Everything she did from that moment on was for her children," Crystal's sister shared. Balancing full-time work while raising her kids alone, Crystal never missed a school event, award ceremony, or field trip.

She eventually bought a home on her own, an accomplishment her sister attributed to her intelligence and determination. "Her children were her world," Stephanie reiterated. "She worked hard for them, [sic] to provide for them. She protected them. They came first before anything."

When Crystal's Glow Began to Dim

Although early photos of Crystal and Jason painted a picture of happiness — smiling selfies, family moments by the Christmas tree, and outings to baseball games — Stephanie noticed a change after the couple married on November 4, 2023. "My sister lost that glow she had," she revealed.

At first, Stephanie attributed the shift to pregnancy, noting that Crystal became pregnant with her third child shortly after the wedding. When she asked if everything was okay, Crystal reassured her, explaining that the pregnancy had simply been harder on her because of her age.

Despite having lingering doubts about Jason, Stephanie believed her sister was safe…until she received a devastating phone call that changed everything.

A Haunting Letter, Bullets, and a Miracle

On the night of December 22, Crystal and her children spent the evening near the Christmas tree in their Highland City home, just east of Tampa.

Jason, meanwhile, had been drinking and watching Monday Night Football alone in a shed outside until around 11 p.m., according to the sheriff. When he came inside and wanted to continue watching the game, the argument escalated rapidly.

As Crystal's son ran from the house to get help, he heard the first gunshot. After the horrific discovery, investigators later discovered a letter Crystal had written to her husband, confronting his drinking and drug use and urging him to seek help. "You need God," reads a portion of the note.

Thankfully, the couple's one-year-old daughter was found unharmed. Crystal's teenage daughter survived after the bullet struck the bridge of her nose and deflected through the top of her head, an outcome Stephanie described as nothing short of miraculous.

After the shooting, Jason fled to his late father's property, where he called his sister and confessed to her that he had "done something very, very bad" and that it would be the last time they spoke. When deputies located him in a shed and ordered him to come out, they heard a single gunshot and found him dead inside.

While no formal domestic violence reports had ever been filed, Grady revealed that one of Crystal's relatives told deputies Jason had been beating on her "for a while."

Despite the alleged history, the sheriff's office had no prior calls or charges on record, and Jason had no criminal background.

"He absolutely destroyed a family," the sheriff stated. "When you go in there, there is a beautiful Christmas tree with lots of Christmas presents under the tree, just like the nuclear family should be … and it ends up this way."

As the family struggles to process the devastation, Stephanie said her niece is recovering well. "It really is a miracle that the bullet missed every major thing," she added.

Additionally, questions about whether abuse occurred before the shooting may never be fully answered. Stephanie said she was unaware of any violence, though she noted that Crystal had mentioned Jason was drinking more after they got married.

"If there was abuse happening [sic] he must have scared her to the point not to say or do anything," she noted. "Because the type of person my sister was [sic] she would have left at the first sight of trouble because she would protect her kids."

A Family Determined to Keep Crystal's Memory Alive

Through the grief and anger, Stephanie said she remains immensely proud of her sister's final, heroic actions.

"My sister died a hero for protecting her children and getting my nephew out of the house to make the 911 call," she said. "She did that. She saved their lives and by doing so my nephew saved his sister's life, and thank God the baby was untouched [sic]."

Determined to keep Crystal's memory alive, Stephanie said she plans to make sure the children always know who their mother was.

"I will never let these kids forget the love and strength and courage she had for them," she asserted. "They will always know that she loved them and put them first."

A Community Answers the Call

As Crystal's family continues to navigate the unimaginable aftermath of her loss, loved ones have launched a GoFundMe campaign to help support the three children she leaves behind.

Organized by close family friends with the blessing of Crystal's mother and her sister, the fundraiser aims to ease the financial burden of funeral costs, assist in the recovery of Crystal's injured daughter, and provide long-term support for the children as they begin to rebuild their lives.

"Crystal was the foundation of her family," the campaign reads. "Being a mother was not just a role for Crystal — it was who she was." Described as a woman of deep faith who raised her children in church and loved unconditionally, Crystal's absence has left a void that words cannot fully express.

The fundraiser encourages community members to stand in solidarity with the children she lived — and ultimately died — to protect.

As of now, the campaign has raised over $37,000 of its $40,000 goal, a testament to the love, prayers, and compassion pouring in from those touched by her story. Stephanie, who has been named the beneficiary of the fundraiser, said every donation will go toward ensuring Crystal's children have the care and stability they need in the days ahead.

At this time, we wish to extend our most heartfelt condolences to Crystal's children, Stephanie, her mother, her entire family, friends, loved ones, community, and all who knew and loved her as they mourn such a significant loss. We hope for their healing amid their grief. RIP, dear Crystal.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text "help" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741, or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.