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Pennsylvania Man
Shot Ex-Wife 5 Times After She Filed for Child Support …
Called Himself a ‘Hero’
Published
A Pennsylvania man who shot his ex-wife five times during a brutal attack sparked by child support has been convicted of attempted murder … and prosecutors say he showed little remorse, even portraying himself as a hero in court.
Darrell Long — a 63-year-old man — was found guilty Tuesday of attempted first-degree murder and several other charges stemming from the March 2025 attack on his former wife, Dawn.
According to prosecutors, Long went to Dawn’s Lebanon County home while she was sleeping on her living room couch and allegedly attacked her with a .22-caliber rifle before opening fire.
Dawn was shot multiple times, including in the leg and hand — with one bullet went through her knee and another struck her thigh — prosecutors claim. During the attack, Dawn reportedly fought back and reached for the rifle as Long pointed it toward her face.
She managed to get her hand in front of the gun, prosecutors said, and the shot struck her hand instead of her head … destroying her left index finger. Dawn ultimately survived the attack and was able to call 911.
Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf told PEOPLE Long’s actions were particularly disturbing because, according to prosecutors, he wanted his ex-wife to know who was attacking her, adding he believed “every woman needs to be taught a lesson” and felt he is a hero for his actions.
Prosecutors also say Long had a striking attitude about the shooting after the fact. Hess Graf said Long remains proud of what he did and continues to blame Dawn for the attack, claiming she was responsible for his decision to shoot her.
Long was convicted of attempted first-degree murder, burglary, aggravated assault causing serious bodily injury, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and harassment.
The charges stem from an attack that happened after Dawn had filed for child support, according to PEOPLE. The jury’s guilty verdict came after prosecutors laid out what they described as an unprovoked attack against a woman who was asleep and unarmed in her own home.
Long now faces sentencing for the convictions.
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