Kansas City mother and son sentenced in Father’s Day 2023 shootings at Swope Park
A Kansas City mother and son were sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for their role in two non-fatal shootings in Swope Park on Father’s Day 2023.
Kippie R. House, 54, and Darryel L. Pennington, 32, each pleaded guilty to felony possession of a firearm. As part of a plea agreement, House also admitted to federal prosecutors that she and Pennington had been involved in the shootings.
Pennington was sentenced on June 17 to 10 years in prison, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore, and House was given same sentence plus one month on June 20. Neither are eligible for parole.
The mother and son were prosecuted in Missouri Western District Court as co-defendants. The shootings stemmed from a confrontation with the family of House’s ex-boyfriend, according to a Wednesday news release from Moore’s office.
The shootings took place in full view of multiple people in the crowded park and were also captured on video. Several families got together for Father’s Day on the afternoon of June 18, 2023, with people gathered in lawn chairs, picnic pavilions and bounce houses, according to Moore’s office.
House entered the park first, alone, with a handgun and confronted a female relative of her ex-boyfriend, according to Moore’s office and court documents. After a physical confrontation, she began shooting at the woman.
The woman ran and got her own gun from a parked car, leading to a gunfight in the parking lot, according to Moore’s office and court documents.
House returned to the park an hour later with Pennington and they engaged in a drive-by shooting with the family of House’s ex-boyfriend, according to Moore’s office. Pennington was shooting a handgun from the passenger seat, and was shot in the leg when at least two people fired back at the car, court documents show.
House brought Pennington to Research Hospital, where the mother and son were met by a Kansas City police officer. The case against House and Pennington was investigated by the Kansas City Police Department; officers noted multiple bullet holes in House’s car as they spoke with her in the parking lot of the hospital.
Previous charges against House in Kansas and Missouri include theft and receiving stolen property, according to court records. At least one of the handguns involved in the shooting had previously been reported stolen, according to Moore’s office.
Previous charges against Pennington in both states include unlawful use of a weapon, as well as felony drug possession, drug trafficking and driving while intoxicated, court records show.
