In the late hours of Saturday, April 4, 2026, the quiet of a Stratford, Connecticut neighborhood was shattered by a barrage of gunfire. Responding to reports of a disturbance at approximately 11:40 p.m. on Woodstock Avenue, police discovered a grim scene. Inside a single-family home, they found 43-year-old Paul T. Balzarano, a resident of the town, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds.
Despite immediate medical attention, Balzarano succumbed to his injuries, and his death was quickly ruled a homicide. Property records confirmed that Balzarano was an owner of the home where the fatal shooting occurred.
The investigation into the death of the male victim is ongoing, with Stratford police detectives leading the inquiry. Authorities have described the killing as an isolated and targeted attack, assuring the community that there is no broader threat to the public. In their efforts to piece together the events of that night, investigators have executed at least five search warrants and have indicated that more are pending as they meticulously evaluate the evidence they have collected.
A significant lead in the case emerged from a neighbor's surveillance camera. A video clip released by the police captured the chilling sounds of the gunshots, followed by footage of an individual running to the driver's side of an SUV parked on the street before fleeing the scene. This person has been identified as a person of interest in the shooting. As of early April, no arrests had been made in connection with the homicide. Detectives are actively pursuing leads and have requested that anyone with information regarding the attack contact them to assist in the investigation. This incident marked the second homicide in Stratford within a one-week period, leaving the community unsettled.
