On the night of April 4, 2026, events in a Stratford, Connecticut, home on Woodstock Avenue took a fatal turn, leading to the death of 43-year-old Paul T. Balzarano. Emergency services were initially called to the residence around 11:48 p.m. for what was reported as a cardiac arrest. Upon arrival, they discovered Balzarano on the floor of a second-floor bedroom with blood pooling around him.
It was soon determined that he had sustained nine gunshot wounds to his leg, torso, and neck.
The investigation into the male victim's death quickly shifted from a medical emergency to a homicide. Police had been called to the home for wellness checks and domestic disturbances in the past. A significant piece of evidence came from a neighbor's surveillance camera, which recorded the sound of approximately a dozen gunshots, followed by footage of a person running from the house and getting into an SUV. This individual was considered a person of interest early in the investigation. The case was described by police as an "isolated incident."
The investigation culminated on April 28, 2026, when 22-year-old Robert Kopasz turned himself in to the Stratford police, accompanied by his attorney. Balzarano had been dating a family member of Kopasz, and neighbors suggested the two men lived together with Kopasz's mother. A family member reportedly told police that Kopasz and Balzarano had not always gotten along but were on better terms recently, though she also made a statement that Kopasz "walked in and shot up the house and shot Paul." Police seized two firearms as evidence: an American Tactical Omni Hybrid semi-automatic rifle and a. 40-caliber Glock 22 pistol that had been illegally modified with a "switch" to make it fully automatic. Investigators reportedly found Kopasz's DNA on the trigger of the handgun.
Robert Kopasz was arrested and faced a series of charges, including murder by firearm, illegal possession of an assault weapon, illegal violation of fire rate enhancement for the modified machine gun, illegal possession of a high-capacity magazine, and unlawful discharge of a firearm. He was arraigned in court on April 28, where a judge set his bond at $1.5 million. A request from his attorney to lower the bond was denied.
