A Long Island man has been arrested and charged with murder after allegedly forcing his way into his ex-wife’s home and shooting her and her boyfriend while his teenage daughter waited outside in his car.
Daniel Coppola, 50, is accused of the crime that took place late Wednesday night in St. James, New York. According to authorities, his 15-year-old daughter was with him at the time, sitting in his vehicle when he entered the house and allegedly shot and killed her mother, Kelly Coppola, 50, and her mother’s boyfriend, Kenneth Pohlman Jr., 53.
The situation began around 11:45 p.m. when Suffolk County police received a 911 call from a 15-year-old girl, Coppola’s daughter, who reported that her father was threatening to harm himself with a gun. Shortly after, another 911 call was made, stating that the same teenage girl had left her mother’s home with her father without permission. The caller, who was not present at the home, noted that the parents were recently divorced and that there had been ongoing conflicts.
Police responded to Coppola’s residence on Harbor Road and then to the mother’s home on Brasswood Road, where they found Kelly Coppola, 50, and her boyfriend, Kenneth Pohlman Jr., 53, dead from gunshot wounds.
According to police, the 15-year-old girl was at her mother’s house when her father called her outside. She got into his vehicle, and shortly afterward, Coppola allegedly entered the house and shot Kelly Coppola and Kenneth Pohlman Jr. While driving away, the teenager became concerned for her mother and texted friends, who then called 911. When officers arrived at the Brasswood Road home, they discovered the two victims.
The divorce between Daniel and Kelly Coppola had been finalized but was described as contentious. The night’s events appear to have escalated from ongoing conflicts between the former couple.
Family members of the victims have expressed their grief. Kenneth Pohlman Sr., the father of the slain boyfriend, shared that his son and Kelly Coppola had been in a happy relationship. He also mentioned that Coppola had been driving erratically with his daughter earlier in the evening, which made her feel unsafe.
Daniel Coppola has been arrested and charged with two counts of second-degree murder. The community of St. James is dealing with the shock of this tragic event, while the families involved face a difficult period of healing.
Discover more from Baller Alert
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
