In the early hours of April 4th, nine or so gunshots rang out in the close-knit community of Paradise Green. With sirens blaring, the police responded, and by 2:30am, a suspect was named, and a confirmed homicide was reported by the Stratford Police Department. On Easter morning, according to various sources, the suspect, Robert Copez, 22 years old, was arrested in Stamford, though we have not confirmed this with SPD. We spoke with Captain Jerry Pinto, Stratford Police Department, who stated, “At this time, I can confirm a homicide has occurred, and we are at the beginning stages of our investigation.”
This kind of gun violence is virtually foreign to Stratford, and yet, 8 days after the last homicide in Stratford, here is another.
While news is still developing, this is what we know so far:
- According to accounts in the neighborhood, at least nine gunshots were fired just before midnight on April 4th.
- Police and emergency crews arrived at the scene not long after the shots were fired.
- An alert was posted on social media by CTPoliceLived on Facebook at approximately 3am.
- Some early reports indicate that Copez was arrested just hours ago in Stamford, CT. We will confirm once we know more.
With homicide rates in Connecticut on the decline since 2023, in Stratford in 2024, zero homicides were reported, in 2025 1, and in 2026 so far, we already have two. I spoke with Mayor David Chess about the homicide, “This was an isolated incident. There is always going to be strife, but there is easy access to guns which enables these emotional outbursts to change lives forever,” he said.
You can read the press release from the Stratford Police Department. The press release includes two separate and unrelated incidents. We will continue to update this story as details become available.
