A Missouri mother welcomed her premature newborn into the world in early September. However, a family friend warned her that she would not be able to return home due to a tragedy that would forever affect her life.
Felicia Kennell tells KSDK she was in Missouri Baptist Hospital after going into labor with her son Mason. The child was born at 32 weeks on August 28, according to the newspaper. Mason’s older brother, 18-year-old Martinez Ursery Jr., waited at home to see his new sibling while the child was receiving treatment in the NICU and Kennell was recovering. Kennell informed reporters that since he couldn’t make it to the hospital, she would email him images of the baby.
However, on September 1, Kennell received a distressing call that confirmed her two children would never meet. Kennell informed KSDK that a friend tragically shot Martinez at home on the 9400 block of Auburn Drive in North County.
“I was like, ‘Quit playing; don’t do that.’ She was like, “Playing?” I’m not playing. It is really real. I didn’t even get the chance to hold Mason’s hand. I was like, “I’ve got to go.” “I got to leave,” Kennell told KSDK.
Kennell reported that she identified the gunman as a man named Chris, who she identified as 21-year-old Christopher Webb, Martinez’s cousin. According to court filings, Webb ended up at Kennell’s house with Martinez and a gun, but it is unknown where it came from.
Upon discovering the loaded pistol, Webb shot Martinez in the head. Prosecutors accused Webb of first-degree involuntary manslaughter, but his motive is unknown.
Reporters learned from Kennell that the shooting happened four years after the tragic shooting of Martinez’s father in July 2020. Kennell expressed frustration at losing her kid, knowing how excited he was to meet his new brother. Yet, in the middle of her sadness, she discovered serenity.
“God took one from me, but he blessed me with another one,” Kennell told KSDK.
A family member set up a GoFundMe page to seek funds for Martinez’s funeral and burial expenses. A $225,000 bond is holding Webb in jail.
