Dad Allegedly Shot Ex-Wife and Her Boyfriend at Home as Teen Daughter Sat in a Car Outside

Long Island: The quiet community of St. James, Long Island, was shattered late Wednesday when a domestic dispute escalated into a double homicide.

Man Kills Ex-Wife and Her Boyfriend

Daniel Coppola, 50, is accused of killing his ex-wife, 50-year-old Kelly Coppola, and her boyfriend, 53-year-old Kenneth “Kenny” Pohlman, Jr., in their million-dollar home on Brasswood Road. The tragic incident reportedly unfolded after Coppola lured his 15-year-old daughter out of the house, leaving her in his car before breaking into the residence and opening fire on the sleeping couple.

According to reports, the harrowing sequence of events began with Coppola instructing his daughter to leave the house. He then allegedly hid in the bushes outside, broke down the front door, and fatally shot Kelly and Kenneth. After the murders, Coppola returned to the car, where he chillingly told his daughter, “I killed your mother and Kenny.” The teenager, in a state of shock, began texting her friends, who then alerted the authorities.

Aftermath and Arrest

As the girl texted her friends about her father’s actions, she also called 911, fearing for her father’s life as he allegedly threatened to harm himself. Suffolk Police Detective Lt. Kevin Beyrer detailed how the situation escalated: “He went to the house on Brasswood Road, picked the girl up, put her in his car, committed the murders, drove her from there to Harbor Road. As he is driving her, she is communicating with friends via text, saying ‘I don’t know what my father did, I don’t know how my mother is.’” The girl’s friends, unable to reach her mother, also contacted 911, leading to a swift police response. Around midnight, authorities discovered the bodies of Kelly Coppola and Kenneth Pohlman at the residence. Shortly after, they located and arrested the suspected killer at his home on Harbor Road. The incident has left the community in shock, with many struggling to comprehend the violence that unfolded in their midst.

Legal Consequences and Community Impact

Daniel Coppola now faces two charges of second-degree murder under New York law, which applies when an individual intentionally causes the death of another person, acts with depraved indifference to human life, or commits murder in the course of another crime. If convicted, Coppola could face a lengthy prison sentence.

The victims’ families are left grieving and searching for answers in the wake of this horrific event. Kenneth Pohlman’s father, Kenneth Sr., expressed his heartbreak over the loss of his son, while Pohlman’s brother, Tom, described how Coppola “shot down” the front door before carrying out the brutal attack.

In the days following the tragedy, a video captured the defendant, silent and in handcuffs, as he was led to a police van. The community, reeling from the shock, now faces the difficult task of healing and coming to terms with the devastating loss of two lives.