Mom Delivers Her Newborn, Then Learns Devastating News Her 18-Year-Old Son Died in a Shooting

Shortly after giving birth to her newborn son, a Missouri mother received the sad news that her oldest son had been shot.

Felicia Kennell told local TV station KDSK that she learned of her 18-year-old son Martinez Ursery’s gunshot death on September 1. According to the outlet, she was at Missouri Baptist Hospital in St. Louis, Mo., at the time after giving birth to her son prematurely on August 28.

“Martinez was in the comfort of his home, where he thought he was safe,” wrote loved ones on a GoFundMe site put up to help pay for Ursery’s funeral.

“This is a difficult time for [Kennell] because not only is she having to bury her son, she is also dealing with not being able to stay in her home because of this tragedy,” the person hosting the event said.

Since the shooting on September 1, authorities have charged Ursery’s cousin, Christopher J. Webb, with involuntary manslaughter and failure to report a shooting in connection with the teenager’s death, according to a criminal complaint filed in St. Louis County Circuit Court on September 30 and reviewed by PEOPLE.

Authorities allege in the complaint that Webb, whose birth year is only given as 2002, shot Ursery in the head with a rifle that afternoon after Ursery informed Webb that the weapon was loaded and had a cartridge in the chamber. According to the complaint, Ursery “died as a result of the shooting.” The complaint did not include any other specifics about the incident or how the firearm was obtained.

According to online court documents, Webb is being held on a $225,000 cash-only bond. He is scheduled to appear in court on October 8 for a bond hearing, according to records. It’s unclear whether he’s filed a plea, and no representation was listed for him in court records.

Kennell is no stranger to disaster. She informed KDSK that Ursery’s father was also killed in a gunshot four years ago.

“I found myself in a hard place with his dad, but now, it’s like with my son, he wouldn’t want to see me down,” said Kennell, according to KDSK. “I just want justice for him.”

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