KANSAS CITY, MO – A brazen daylight shootout at Swope Park on Father’s Day 2023 has landed a Kansas City woman and her son in federal prison. Kippie R. House, 54, and Darryel L. Pennington, 32, were each sentenced to 10 years and one month without parole last week, after pleading guilty to being felons in possession of firearms.
The chaos unfolded on June 18, 2023, captured in disturbing detail by surveillance footage. House arrived at the crowded park – a scene of families, picnic pavilions, and children playing – and immediately became embroiled in a violent confrontation with a member of her ex-boyfriend’s family. The dispute quickly escalated into a gun battle. Witnesses described House waving a Smith & Wesson .380-caliber handgun as she hunted down her target, firing multiple shots both before and during an exchange of gunfire around the victim’s vehicle.
The initial shooting wasn’t enough. Approximately an hour later, House returned to Swope Park with Pennington. From the passenger seat of her Dodge Challenger, Pennington unleashed a volley of shots from a handgun with an extended magazine, targeting House’s ex-boyfriend and his family. Return fire struck Pennington in the leg, but House didn’t stop to render aid, instead fleeing to Research Hospital. The Challenger arrived at the hospital riddled with bullet holes and with a flat tire.
A search of the vehicle revealed a cache of weapons: the stolen Smith & Wesson used in the initial shootout was found in the trunk, alongside a Glock 10mm semi-automatic handgun and a 23-round extended magazine. House readily admitted the firearms belonged to her and Pennington, and confessed to returning to the park with the intent to shoot another member of her ex-boyfriend’s family. Both defendants have prior felony convictions – House for receiving stolen property, and Pennington for unlawful use of a weapon – making firearm possession illegal.
“This case demonstrates the serious consequences of illegally possessing firearms and using them to commit violent acts,” stated Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashleigh A. Ragner, who prosecuted the case. The investigation was led by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department. The sentences handed down by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays send a clear message that such behavior will not be tolerated.
This prosecution is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a comprehensive initiative aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence through collaboration between law enforcement and local communities. PSN focuses on building trust, supporting community-based violence prevention programs, and strategically prioritizing enforcement efforts to create safer neighborhoods for all.
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Key Facts
- State: Missouri
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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