Kippie R. House, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, Missouri 2023

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City woman and her son are behind bars after a violent shootout at Swope Park on Father’s Day last year.

Kippie R. House, 54, and her son, Darryel L. Pennington, 32, were sentenced in federal court for illegally possessing the firearms they used in the shootings. House was sentenced to 10 years and 1 month in federal prison without parole, while Pennington received a 10-year sentence without parole.

The two separate shooting incidents occurred on June 18, 2023, at the crowded park. Surveillance video captured the chaos as House arrived at the park, armed with a Smith & Wesson .380-caliber handgun with a laser. She became involved in a physical altercation with a member of her ex-boyfriend’s family and began shooting.

House then left the park and picked up her son, Pennington, returning an hour later. Pennington fired a handgun with an extended magazine at House’s ex-boyfriend and his family, sparking a shootout. At least two people returned fire, striking Pennington in the leg.

House and Pennington were eventually taken to Research Hospital, where they were met by Kansas City police. Officers found a loaded Smith & Wesson .380 caliber handgun with a laser in the trunk of their Dodge Challenger, as well as a backpack containing a Glock 10mm semi-automatic handgun and an extended magazine loaded with 23 rounds of ammunition.

The investigation, led by the Kansas City Police Department, found that House and Pennington had used the stolen firearms in the shootings. House admitted to detectives that she had returned to the park with a plan to shoot a member of her ex-boyfriend’s family.

Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone with a felony conviction to possess any firearm or ammunition. House has a prior felony conviction for receiving stolen property, while Pennington has a prior conviction for unlawful use of a weapon.

This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh A. Ragner prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the Kansas City Police Department.

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