North Lebanon Township, Pennsylvania — A Pennsylvania man who prosecutors say broke into his ex-wife’s home and shot her five times after she filed for child support has been found guilty of attempted homicide and other charges.
Darrell Long, 63, was convicted Wednesday by a Lebanon County jury of attempted homicide, burglary, harassment and two counts of aggravated assault in connection with the March 2025 attack on his 57-year-old ex-wife, Dawn Long.
The violent confrontation happened on March 25, 2025, at Dawn Long’s residence on North 7th Street in North Lebanon Township, about 15 miles northeast of Hershey.
Prosecutors Say Attack Was Planned
According to prosecutors, Dawn Long was taking a nap when her ex-husband allegedly entered her home and attacked her with a .22-caliber firearm.
Darrell Long allegedly struck her in the face with the gun before shooting her twice in the left leg.
But the attack did not end there.
Dawn Long fought back, eventually attempting to take control of the firearm.
“She kind of kicks him backwards, gets to her feet, and she reaches for the gun,” Lebanon County District Attorney Pier Hess Graf told People magazine. “He now has it pointed at her face. And she reaches up with her left hand and he fires. Thankfully, he hits her hand and doesn’t shoot her in the head, but it obliterates her left index finger.”
Despite being injured, Dawn continued fighting.
Victim Fought Back Despite Being Shot
According to Graf, Dawn Long used her right arm to continue struggling with her ex-husband before eventually grabbing him and putting him in a headlock.
The confrontation sent Darrell Long to the floor on the opposite side of the living room. After recovering, Long reportedly encountered a problem with the firearm.
“He’s beating and hitting at the gun, yelling at it, saying that it jammed,” Graf went on. “So, Dawn charges him to finally get it and that’s when he shoots her the fourth time in the right arm and that bullet lodges in her forearm.”
By then, Dawn had suffered gunshot wounds to multiple limbs. She eventually stopped fighting and began dragging herself toward a bedroom, attempting to put distance between herself and her attacker.
Prosecutors said Long shot her once more in the right leg as she attempted to escape.
Injured Woman Used Apple Watch to Call 911
After the final shot, Dawn Long found another way to summon help. Prosecutors said she smashed her Apple Watch until it activated a 911 call, while Darrell Long fled the residence.
Authorities said he realized that both law enforcement officers and the couple’s son were on their way. The attack left Dawn with extensive injuries requiring four surgeries.
One of the five bullets remains lodged in her femur, according to Graf.
“The Defendant committed a planned, extremely violent attempt on the victim’s life,” Graf said in a statement after the verdict. “He shot his ex-wife five (5) times – it is clear he wanted her to die, but he failed.”
Text Messages Became Key Evidence
During the two-day trial, jurors heard evidence prosecutors said demonstrated Long’s intent before and after the attack.
Among the evidence were 23 text messages sent by Darrell Long to his son, which prosecutors described as threatening and containing what Graf called “hateful and nasty” comments about Dawn.
Some of the messages were allegedly intended for Dawn herself after she blocked Long’s phone number. An initial police release following the arrest cited a message sent 18 minutes after the 911 call that read, in part:
“I have nothing you still control everything now life for a life”
Prosecutors argued that the messages helped establish the circumstances surrounding the shooting and Long’s state of mind.
Prosecutor Says Defendant Showed No Remorse
Graf also told that Long showed little remorse following the attack.
“The last two things that the jury heard [were] [him making] domestic violence jokes that every woman needs to be taught a lesson, that he’s a hero for doing what he did,” Graf told the magazine. “[That] he did what 99% of men wish they could do. He’s proud of what he did. He still blames the victim for making him shoot her.”
Long is currently scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 9 and faces the possibility of decades behind bars. Meanwhile, Dawn Long has largely recovered from the attack, although prosecutors said she continues to live with lasting effects.
“Her left hand will always be different,” Graf explained. “Her left leg will always be different. And she has pain.”
The verdict brings the criminal trial to a close, but the physical consequences of the shooting will remain part of the victim’s life.
What are your thoughts on this case and the evidence presented at trial? Share your reaction in the comments below.
