ST. LOUIS, MO  (September 30, 2025) — Keon Martez Cannady, 22, received a 25-year prison sentence for killing 20-year-old Shawn Kennedy of Ferguson on Christmas Eve. Cannady pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and unlawful possession of a weapon after his trial had started.



On December 24, 2023, St. Louis Metropolitan Police officers responded to a residence in the 900 block of Talmage Avenue after receiving reports of a shooting. Officers entered the home and found Shawn Kennedy lying unresponsive in the living room. Emergency personnel transported Kennedy to the hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead. Witnesses told police that Kennedy collapsed after a person fired multiple shots toward the front of the residence.

Detectives obtained surveillance video with audio showing several people at the residence asking Cannady to leave. The footage captured Cannady pulling out a firearm, firing toward the house, and running away from the scene.

At the time of the incident, Cannady remained on active criminal supervision for a felony conviction for assault with a deadly weapon out of San Diego, California. A California court had sentenced him to two years in prison for that crime.

“Senseless gun violence continues to take lives and devastate families in our community,” said Circuit Attorney Gabe Gore. “Our office will continue to pursue justice for victims and aggressively prosecute those who choose to resolve personal conflicts with gun violence.”

Special Assistant Circuit Attorney Gordon Ankney and Assistant Circuit Attorney Kate Cogan prosecuted the case.

Cannady’s case number is 2422-CR00222-01.