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 Kopasz, 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 Kopasz 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.
Editor’s Note: The name ‘Robert Copez’ was the transcription over the police scanner on April 4th. The name of the person of which the 2020 Blue Ford Explorer belonged to was incorrectly transcribed. His name has been corrected in this article.
There’s a whole different type of people that now live in Stratford.its changed a lot since the 60’s and 70’s when I grew up as a youngster there.me and my brother would go to Long brook park which is right behind Paradise Green.and play whiffle Ball,or have to pick up baseball game or arts and crafts,go up to the food stand and buy some penny candies.but it’s no longer like that.slowly Stratford started getting a lot of it’s citizens from neighboring Bridgeport and Stratford started offering more rentals.thats what really started it’s downfall in my opinion..it brang in clientele that was a little rougher around the edges.i will leave it at that.