On the night of April 4, 2026, a welfare check at a Woodstock Avenue home in Stratford found 43-year-old Paul T. Balzarano on the floor of a second-floor bedroom with blood pooling around him. Emergency crews were first called for an apparent cardiac arrest at about 11:48 p.m., but investigators determined Balzarano had sustained nine gunshot wounds to his leg, torso, and neck and classified the case as a homicide.

Neighbors said the house had drawn prior wellness checks and domestic-disturbance calls. A neighbor’s surveillance camera captured roughly a dozen gunshots and footage of a person running from the house and getting into an SUV; that person was treated as a person of interest. Police later seized an American Tactical Omni Hybrid semi-automatic rifle and a .40-caliber Glock 22 pistol that had been modified with a switch to fire fully automatic. Investigators reportedly found the suspect’s DNA on the handgun trigger.

On April 28, 2026, 22-year-old Robert Kopasz turned himself in and was arrested on charges including murder by firearm, illegal possession of an assault weapon, illegal modification of fire rate, possession of a high-capacity magazine, and unlawful discharge of a firearm; bond was set at $1.5 million after an arraignment where a request to reduce bond was denied. If anyone knew Balzarano, his household, or saw activity on Woodstock Avenue the night of April 4, please share what was seen.