MARICOPA COUNTY, Ariz. — A grand jury has issued an indictment against a 36-year-old man who said he fatally shot his wife after she startled him in the middle of the night.
Christopher Hoopes has been indicted for one count of second-degree murder, domestic violence felony and one count of unlawful discharge of a weapon, according to the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
In the early morning hours of May 20, officers from the Tempe Police Department were called to a home near College Avenue and Apache Boulevard for reports of a shooting.
Police said the caller, Hoopes, told dispatchers he woke up, was startled by his wife, and shot her.
When officers arrived on scene, they found 25-year-old Colleen Hoopes, who had been shot twice in her upper torso. She was transported to the hospital where she later died from her injuries.
“The victim in this case was an extremely talented dancer, beloved by her community,” County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said in a statement. “Her life was cut short, and this office will seek justice for her and her family, who are devastated by her death.”
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