Man Arrested in Killing of Worker in Burbank Office

A 64-year-old man charged into a corporate headquarters in Burbank Monday afternoon, exchanged angry words with his estranged wife and then fatally shot one of her co-workers, police said.

Stephen Kopy of North Hills was arrested on suspicion of murder. Burbank police said the victim, whom they did not identify, worked with Kopy’s estranged wife at Aramark Uniform Services.

Police said they didn’t know the motive for the shooting, but said the victim and Kopy’s ex-wife were friends.

“It seems they were pretty close,” said Police Capt. Gordon Bowers. “They worked right next to each other.”

Kopy, armed with a semiautomatic handgun, stormed into the first-floor lobby at 3:38 p.m., Bowers said. He made his way to a restricted area on the third floor accessed by security cards and traded angry words with his estranged wife, police said. She walked away, Bowers said.

At that point, Kopy walked into a back office where he found the victim and shot him in the chest, Bowers said.

The victim, whose name was withheld, was pronounced dead at 4:43 p.m. at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center.

Witnesses reported multiple gunshots. Bowers could not confirm the number of shots, but said “all the shots that were fired hit the victim.”

Police said Kopy did not point the gun at any other employees in the more than 30 cubicles on the floor.

Police, who were called when Kopy arrived in the lobby, arrived moments after the shooting. Kopy surrendered without a struggle, Bowers said, but employees were shaken.

“Obviously, it’s a very traumatic thing,” he said. “It appears to be a very secure facility, which makes [the employees] even more surprised someone was able to get in there.”

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Contributing to this story were Times Staff Writers Edgar Sandoval and Andrew Blankstein, and Times Community News reporters Amber Willard and Darrell Satzman.