Last Updated: May 22, 8:51 a.m.
Update: The suspect, William Copeland, was arrested the evening of May 21 in Volusia County. The story here.
A man was shot in his home on Leidel Drive in Palm Coast around midnight during the night of Wednesday to Thursday (May 18 to 19) by an assailant alleged to be the boyfriend of the man’s teen-age daughter, who lives in the house.
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The victim, Accursio Venezia, in his late 40s or early 50s, was shot in the shoulder and was said to be recovering. Family and friends from his congregation at Calvary Christian Center in Ormond Beach were at his side Thursday at Halifax Hospital in Daytona Beach, where he was airlifted.
The shooting took place at 49 Leidel Drive in northwest Palm Coast, in a subdivision of middle class homes and empty lots. Police recovered a weapon, according to Flagler County Sheriff Don Fleming. The suspect is not in custody. Fleming said police are searching for an 18-year-old black male. “We’ll try to get him arrested before the end of the day,” Fleming said.
Just before 5 p.m., the Sheriff’s Office identified the suspect as William R. Copeland, 20, of 29A Bunkerview Drive. The sheriff’s office is asking for the public’s assistance in locating the suspect, who has been charged with attempted murder and shooting into a dwelling. Copeland, a native of Roanoke, Va., has been jailed in Flagler County three times, including twice for criminal violation of a protective injunction–in September and July 2010. In October 2007, he was briefly jailed for criminal mischief.
Aida Dali, who lives across the street and one house down from the Venezias’ two-level, 2,900-square-foot house, said she was watching television in her room when she heard the shooting. “It was just really three quick shots. That’s it. Exactly it,” she said. Dali immediately turned off the television, turned off the lights, and looked out her window, which gives on to the western side of the street, away from the Venezia house. She saw a black, relatively new pickup truck drive down the street, turn on a driveway, and drive off rapidly.
Deputies did, in fact, recover three .32 caliber shell casings on the patio if the home, according to a sheriff’s release this afternoon.
A bullet hole is clearly visible through the bay door leading to the back porch. The glass door is lacerated from the shot, but not shattered. There was no home invasion during the shooting.
Dali said the Accursio home is busy with teen-age children—active boys, normal boys”—who play basketball outside during the day, but are quiet at night.
The neighbor immediately facing the Accursio home said he was sleeping at the time of the shooting, and didn’t hear it. He said he’d seen a sheriff’s deputy at the house the previous day, and that there had been occasional issues with the daughter’s boyfriend. The daughter and the boyfriend have a toddler together.
Venezia is originally from New York. Josephine, his wife, owns Divine Treasures Resale Boutique, which just opened in March in the Sunrise Plaza on Florida Park Drive in Palm Coast. The store, usually opened from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., was closed Thursday afternoon.
There’s been numerous incidents involving firearms in Palm Coast over the last several weeks, including two random shootings–one in the gated community of Tidelands, another on Burma Place–, last weekend’s three-hour stand-off in the Woodlands, involving a despondent man who’d holed himself in with a firearm, an armed robbery at the State Road 100 CVS in Flagler Beach, an “accidental” shooting in West Flagler, and a man’s allegedly pistol-whipping his girlfriend and firing seven shots on Wendlin Lane in mid-April. But the shooting on Leidel Drive is the first that led to an injury since the murder-suicide on Palm Coast’s Barkwood Lane in late March.
W.C. says
Well, that’s what happens when you put cheap, low end houses in an NEW middle-upper class golf community. You get the bottom of the food chain usually, renting from selfish realtors that bought up this neighborhood in 2004-05, and ruined the possibility of it EVER becoming a nice area.
Not a good thing. They are just Heathens..!
I wish the injured man a speedy recovery.
Neighbor… from just around the corner where the nicer homes are kept up and landscaped nicely.
S.C.
A.T. says
I dont think landscaping is important at a time like this. This guy should get life in prison for this disgusting act. They fail to mention the injured man had to endure serious surgerys to repair an artery and his lung. They also did not mention that the shooter’s own infant daughter was in the house. Copeland should recieve the max penalty, then maybe family’s can live in peace without scumbags like this destroying them!!!
Jack Wierbicki says
This is just rediculous , trying to raise a family and be good citizens then u have an animal like this come to your house in the middle of the nite and open fire on the people inside what is this world coming to what if he hit the toddler inside , then what happens ? He should get life in prison and or the electric chair for this type of behavior , my regards to the family and friends of the man shot , i cant imagine what they must be going through.
EPC says
Section 8 city, the new Palm Coast
BCB says
Terrible event. Prayers go out to the Venezia family.
Once again — another protective injunction proving how little that helps, and…where/how did this shooter get this gun…?
As usual…Great reporting FlaglerLive.com.
Mel says
What an ignorant comment. First of all, this man owns his own home so he’s not just another low class renter, I guess that is what I am as well….since I rent….oh and I rent a duplex, even worse yet! I am also a Realtor and a Property Manager….guess I am selfish also. Things happen, whether you are in Beverly Hills or Palm Coast. Get Real or Get Out.
Rob says
Mel,
And the lady owns her own business.
I wonder what criteria WC uses to brand these people as heathens.
Or how EPC determines that the residents are Section 8 participants.
Sounds like they both have a little red on the back of their necks.
mellissa says
Mostly ignorant comments, renters are low class now?, atleast some of us are smart enough not to take a mortgage we cannot afford and end up being foreclosed on like the rest of Palm Coast, you would be surprised at how many people that live in Palm Coast and own their giant homes and have good jobs who are a lot worse off and in a lot more debt than us who rent. It has nothing to do with how you pay your bills as to what type of activity goes in in your neighboorhood, thank goodness the child was not hurt and the man is going to survive, I happen to love this town, it’s a lot better than most places around anymore,what I do not like though is the people that think they are better than everyone else
Kasey Ruiz says
W.C./S.C., whatever your name is, you couldn’t be more arrogant! I am his neighbor and all of my neighbors OWN their home, including myself and for you to imply that it’s a low class neighborhood, you couldn’t be more WRONG! The shooter didn’t even LIVE there, so there goes one of your condescending theories. Many of the homes on our street are 2900 sq ft or more and not low end, so there goes another of your condescending theories. Landscaping is such a trivial point, when children were in the house! I’m glad you’re not my neighbor……
BW says
WC couldn’t be more wrong and absurd. How do I know? I live in this neighborhood. It’s extremely quiet with very little activity. The homes are not low-end homes and the residents are a great group.
As an update. There is a lot of activity today. A helicopter has been circling the fairways around the Leed Dr. area and street directly behind. There is also sirens at times. The helicopter landed for some time then took off again and seemed to be focused back around the abandoned clubhouse. Sirens could be heard as well.
w.ryan says
How many PC house owners bought there homes on a balloon bait and switch and didn’t think there would be such a financial collapse. A lot of these home owners now in jeopardy would have had an opportunity to correct their situation if it weren’t for this collapse and the selfish nature of our corporate community. The local government were complicit as well. Too bad we have such negative comments. Now to the main focus. Domestic disputes are a major part of law enforcement these days and they can be volatile. This is nothing new in any social setting. Hopefully this family can get past this in a peaceful way and the victims recovers.
palmcoaster says
Hope someone is not trying to start a fire around the abandoned Matanzas Golf Course club house. As has been left so isolated. I was around there last weekend taking pictures of the eyesore and danger that all you residents that bought expensive Matanzas Golf Course location have to endure nowadays besides the further devaluation of your homes due to the status quo of the falsely promised Landmark Developer that will be closed only for one year for repairs…that was 2008. How come you all didn’t yet get together and demand from our city officials to force rich Landmark/Crescent managements to reopen it?
Here we owners around Palm Harbor put up some harsh fight for our Palm Harbor Golf course thru the city against Centex and begged, lauded, yelled and threaten and guess what? Centex gave it to us/ the city the Golf Course. Too bad that the city did not further fight to get the 3 to 5 million that cost the repair due to Centex abandonment of it. But we won our Golf Course back and paying itself.
I have always thought that ITT aka ICDC had not right after 30 years of providing it, to walk away and sale the amenities that included the four Palm Coast golf Courses, the Players Club, the Palm Coast Marina and even our Players Club Membership usage of the ocean front clubhouse pool and cabana where Ginn Hammock Beach Club seats now. The amenities provided by ICDC were consented in the GA regional Federal Trade Commission filing as a “redress” to our community and what about “grand father in rule” after 30 years of usage by palmcoasters? By the time all properties were sold around the golf courses those owners paid their way to the cost of the golf courses….? Something to think and maybe pursue…
I think you all around Matanzas, should do what we did in Palm Harbor…but this time Landmark/Crescent (said is working on selling it) repairs and reopens it or repairs and give it back to you/city to run. Those beautiful houses surrounding the course do not deserve the eyesore just because Landmark/Crescent benefit. Each house around that Matanzas course will benefit by recouping a substantial value and that is your all, rights. Also the ficticious blame to the ones that bought and could not afford and are paying the price now dadada, only cover the real omen of the Wall Street crooks and the greedy corporations that sell the less fortunate a bill of lies with total impunity. It is time that after so much undeserved beating endured, we need to turn around and bite back!
NortonSmitty says
My sympathies go out to the victim and his family. But if you have to be shot, by a .32 Auto would be my first choice. This sounds like a typical domestic dispute that is all too common in this 21st century. A bad decision by a teen that leads to a lifelong connection to people she and her family don’t have the experiences to deal with.
I’m doing my damnedest not to get racial here, but for the last twenty years the media, led by the music industry, has crammed down the throat of the most impressionable among us, the trend worshiping American teenager, that the coolest creature on the whole planet is a black gangsta’ drug-dealing thug. So 24/7/365 from MTV to Tiger Beat, you wanna’ be cool, you hang with tha’ Dogs. No matter how much your parents scream, they just ain’t cool. And if you’re a teenage suburban high schooler, you aren’t trained to deal with this crowd. They will take what you got. If you’re a young girl, well, you know what they got.
The consequences are more than most kids or there parents can handle. Hell, in cases like this it proved to be more than all of the Police could handle. As I said, all involved have my sincere sympathies.
The new standard of cool seems to be obnoxious assholes from New Jersey. Only time will tell if this is an improvement.
Jojo says
I agree Melissa, very well said.
When this young man is apprehended and he will, he’s going away for a long time. Another child growing up without a father.
JULIE says
Anyone who has kids should pay close attention to this story… This guy preyed on a family and a young teenage girl who was not smart enough to let go before things got out of hand… Now their family is paying the price… It can happen to anyone of our family’s. With that said, I hope the sheriff is doing everything possible to catch this murderer! And Everyone in the Flagler/Palm Coast area should keep an eye out for this low life!
Haw Creek Girl says
Renter or Homeowner isn’t mentioned in the statute that defines attempted murder so not sure why most of the comments on this thread are relative. Just sayin
Outsider says
While I wouldn’t have put it quite the way W.C. did, the fact is many areas in Palm Coast ARE going down the tubes. I used to live in that area and did get out. Most of the people are great people, and many renters take better care of their homes than owners. But, the TREND seems to be exactly as W.C. and Norton Smitty said; it ain’t gettin’ any better.
TINA says
JUST GOES TO SHOW HOW STUPID PEOPLE REALLY ARE. WHERE IN THIS ARTICLE DOES IT SAY THE BABY WAS IN THE HOUSE? SHE WAS NOT. ALSO DON’T BELIEVE EVERYTHING YOU READ AND DON’T BE SO QUICK TO FEEL SORRY FOR THE WRONG PEOPLE. OBVIOUSLY NOONE WHO HAS COMMENTED KNOWS ANYTHING ABOUT WHAT REALLY HAPPENED. ONLY GOD CAN JUDGE HIM NOW NOT ALL OF YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ava says
People who cares who rents and who owns…The point is you should not go around shooting people I don’t care what the reason…If only God could judge him then who is this guy too judge that this man should get shot…
PS The baby was in the house…..
Godsgirl says
Praying for the Venezia family, they are a nice family.
All these comments pertaining to renters, owners, bad landscaping etc is so irrelevant, even if it happened to be a low income section or a high class section, there is NO excuse or reason that this should have happened. It happens everywhere and to all types of people.
Someone commented earlier on the media, music etc that whole Hip Hop gangsta effecting this generation, SO TRUE! This generation is fed so much trash & filth, they are a lost generation!
We need to step up and help reach out to this lost & dying generation, there is hope, his name is Jesus!
KR says
The article doesn’t say his baby was in the house and, with regard to my post, I stated there were “children” in the house. I refer to anyone under the age of 18 as a child. I don’t understand what “feeling sorry for the wrong people” means but I don’t think opening fire into a house constitutes the shooter as being the ‘right’ person.
NortonSmitty says
If he pulled this at my house Tina God would be judging him right now.
WTF? says
Well said, Norton Smitty!
This girl is forever tied to this gangsta because of the baby!
Sure he’ll go to jail, but when he comes out her and her family better go into hiding.
Stick to your own kind! You never see a bluebird have babies with a Cardinal. It’s not normal.
In any event….praying for his full recovery.
Pierre Tristam says
WTF, what’s not normal–although in this county it’s shamefully too common–is your bigotry. The suspect’s race is immaterial here, aside from giving racists a chance to show off their true colors, which speak more shamefully of their character than anyone’s pigment ever does. Numerous comments aren’t being approved for being gratuitously and exclusively racist. Nor are comments calling for the suspect’s head: he remains innocent until proven guilty, and the 13th century is long past, so don’t waste your time, at least not on this site. To have sympathy, concern and compassion for Accursio’s family isn’t license to launch barbaric and bigoted judgments from where the sun don’t shine.
NortonSmitty says
Pierre, I have to disagree with you on this one. Race here is the issue, because it has been inseparable from a lifestyle that has been promoted and used to sell innumerable things. Of course mostly music, but also clothing, $200 tennis shoes, and towards that goal, race was used as a gateway to an exiting and exotic lifestyle that was a way more interesting life than any white suburban kid could possibly live. Unless you were M&M that is. Which bolsters my argument
You may disagree that race was not the “product” sold, but it would not be possible to have this “Dream” without it.
PS. You want to think about racial profiling, explain to me why you knee jerked so badly thinking I was referring to his blackness with the post. I didn’t write it until I read about his criminal record. Think about that you stereotyping racist bastard you!
Will expand on this later, but I gotta’ go. Don’t want to be late for the Klan meeting. (Kidding, going fishing.)
WTF? says
I guess that is your liberal ideology speaking. I’m just saying the truth.
Innocent until proven guilty….hmmmm, the family, including the victim said he shot him. Sure, he sounds innocent. Oh wait, he ran away, handed a friend a bag with the gun, continued running for 3 days from what? innocence??
URAJERK says
What a dumb thing to say, who cares about real estate moment like this, seems like everyone has to rent at some time and its none of ur bussiness if they do or dont anyway. According to the comments above it seems like he did own. Shows how much your ignorant self knows. Mel I agree with what you said in your comment. And btw I hear a helicopter right now and last night heard sirens. I dont know what went down that night but I feel very very bad for the family who has to deal with this and the beautiful baby girl who wont have a reliable father there for her. Pray for them and the daughter who is the mother to his child and has to put up with all this drama. I feel horrible that this happened so close to my house also. It is such a violent act and I hope justice gets served. God bless the Venetia family and I hope he gets better.
Helping Hand says
Friends and Family have set up a Website to help the Venezia’s with donations. With the Father of the family recovering from surgery to repair artery’s and remove part of his lung, he will be out of work for a while. Any amount would be greatly appreciated and if everyone could spread the word. Thank you for everyone who has sent their blessings and we all hope for a speedy recovery
Helping Hand says
VeneziaFamily.com is the website
Melissa says
I think making a website over this is over rated. its pushing it a little to far. They said their not even sure William did it! They have other suspects. I understand why people think its horrible thing and how upsetting it all is but you cant be quick to judge unless they know for sure he did it. I lived with William’s family awhile ago and Mr.Venezia’s daughter use to stalk William and call none stop even tho will did not want to speak to her. People dont know the truth! Dont be quick to judge unless you know the past. I dont think William did it. Hes to good of a person to do this.
WTF? says
@Melissa: Yes, he seems to be an angel. He looks like one too! I’m sure that the little factor of him having gunpowder on his clothing….No, that can’t be, it must be angel dust!
This Jesse Jackson clone is DANGEROUS! To come to someone’s home with a GUN, makes him a CRIMINAL! His intention was to KILL these people. Ostrich time is over.
Good4Him says
Making a website to help the victim is over rated ?!? Pushing a a little too far?!? You can’t judge someone who tried to murder a father/husband ?
are you delusional?!?
The guy was CHARGED with attempted murder, the two people he was with gave the cops the same exact story on how he went up to the house by himself and shot into the house,…He gave a story about Anthony Wiggins and how Wiggins said he would take care of Mr. Venezia.. But yet Copelands clothing had gun powder on them.. This is not an unsolved mystery,.. I understand you have a connection with Copeland but telling people not to judge him with all this evidence and the fact that he has a criminal record is ridiculous..
When you say Venezia’s daughter stalked William, did that consist of going to the family home and shooting people, or did it warrant William to do that to theres?
Absolutely disgusting!!!!!
1st try to kill someone and then try to be a rat and rat out your friends for something you did wrong!!
Hope he does 20 years, then comes out and is known as a RAT!
w.ryan says
Norton and WTF…race has nothing to do with this. Your statements are racist and stereotypical. Just to illustrate a point…read a classic like Romeo and Julie. There was no “hip Hop” then! And if you want to deny the obvious and blame blacks for all of America’s griefs, blame the luxurious cruise ships and the owners and captains that brought Blacks on this glorious trip. And if being intelligent and full of common sense is being liberal, then I wish you’d get a full dose of both. Norton Smitty… seems like fishing is what you’re good at! WTF??.WTF?
Marie says
I really don’t like making this a race situation because whether he was white or black doesn’t matter, the fact is he is a low class scum who tried to murder people!
Melissa— if this would have happened to your father or husband how would you like it?
Melissa says
Just because I say what I believe doesnt mean jump down my throat. I can say what I want and believe and I am not dielusional for thinking what I think. If all this is because he is black then I think thats disgusting.Were not suppost to be judgemental about peoples race anymore.
Marie says
Yes melissa it is because he’s black, thats the only reason people are bad mouthing him,.. Not because he tried to kill someone,.. Or shot into a home, or because he terrorized a family, or because he has a criminal record , or because he tried to Rat out his friend, or because he tried to evade the police and get away with his crime,….. No of courssseeee its gotta be because hes black (sarcastic) , that one always works
UNBELIEVABLE says
I can’t believe what I am reading it is outrageous!!! A man was shot in his home in front of his family??? OMG where did owner/ renter/ racism/ golf course whateva you guys are talking about come into play. Where the hell are your heads at??? Why don’t you pull them out of your asses!! This is a horrible thing to happen to anyone. As far as the website is concerned where do u get off say whats right and what is wrong. You dont know this family situation you dont know if the man has health coverage Where do u get off saying some shit like that?? If you dont like it don’t donate. How dare you say such things. I am at a loss for words Shame on all of you with those type of comments but remember the world goes round and if this was your family how would you feel???? I pray the family does not read any of this nonsense. I think they have been through ENOUGH!!! My prayers to the Venezia family.
Donna Peters says
@WTF,what nationality are you?? Just curious,like what is your Mom and what is your Dad?? My Mom is Italian and my Dad is Native American (Cherokee Indian) so what are your parents nationalities??
tyrone bentley says
i agree, section 8 is palm coast. to much low lives living for way cheap and still cant pay there bills.