Arizona Man Who Claimed He Shot Ballerina Wife After She ‘Startled’ Him Indicted For Murder: Prosecutors

An Arizona man was indicted for murder after he allegedly shot his ballerina wife dead and claimed she startled him, prosecutors said.

The Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced on June 3 that Christopher Hoopes, 36, was formally charged with second-degree homicide as well as an unlawful discharge of a weapon count in connection to the killing of 25-year-old Colleen Hoopes, the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office announced.

As FrontPageDetectives previously reported, shortly before 4 a.m. on May 20, Hoopes phoned 911 and reported he opened fire on his wife at the Tempe home they shared.

“The caller said he was startled by his wife in the middle of the night and shot her,” Detective Natalie Barela, said, according to AZ Family.

Police said the victim, who suffered two gunshot wounds to her chest, was rushed to a local hospital, where she died from her injuries 40 minutes later.

According to court documents, investigators believe Colleen Hoope’s husband allegedly shot his gun from the foot of the couple’s bed toward the other end, contradicting his explanation of what happened the night of the incident.

And audio recovered from a neighbor’s surveillance system allegedly shows a shot was fired followed by another after a two-second pause, court paperwork states.

“The victim in this case was an extremely talented dancer, beloved by her community,” County Attorney Rachel Mitchell said after the suspect's indictment.

“Her life was cut short, and this office will seek justice for her and her family, who are devastated by her death,” Mitchell added.