On a Friday morning in Ronkonkoma, New York, the life of 32-year-old Terry Long was tragically cut short in a hail of gunfire outside his own home. The date was April 29, 2022, and what began as a routine morning soon turned into a scene of violence that would leave a family shattered and a community searching for answers. Long, a male resident of Wildwood Road, had stepped outside just before 9 a.m. to start his car, seemingly preparing to take his son to school.
After turning the engine on, he briefly went back inside his house. It was upon his return to his vehicle that the ambush occurred.
Without warning, a grey BMW sedan carrying multiple individuals drove by his residence. At least two people from within the car opened fire, unleashing a barrage of bullets aimed at Long, his car, and his house. Struck multiple times, he was gravely wounded in his own driveway. Emergency services were called, and Long was rushed by ambulance to Stony Brook University Hospital, but his injuries proved fatal, and he was pronounced dead. Investigators quickly determined that the shooting was not a random act of violence; they believe Terry Long was the intended target.
In the years following the brazen drive-by shooting, no arrests have been made, leaving the case unsolved and Long's family desperate for justice. The Suffolk County Police Department has continued to investigate, releasing images of the suspect vehicle to the public in the hopes of generating new leads. Long's mother, Theresa Sexton, has made emotional public pleas for anyone with information to come forward, highlighting the profound suffering of her grandchildren who are growing up without their father. The search for those responsible for the cold-blooded killing continues, as a family waits for closure and a community hopes for the day when the assailants are held accountable.
