Ballerina shot to death after husband says she startled him, Arizona cops say

A Tempe man told police he shot his wife dead when she startled him in the middle of the night, Arizona police reported.

Christopher Hoopes, 36, who called 911 at 3:45 a.m. Friday, May 20, to report the shooting, faces charges of second-degree murder and unlawfully discharging a firearm, Tempe police said in a news release.

Colleen Hoopes, 25, was a ballerina with Ballet Arizona, where she worked partially as a teacher, KNXV reported. Ballet Arizona said it was “heartbroken” in a statement.

“Colleen was an integral part of Ballet Arizona family and will be missed deeply,” the statement read. “She was passionate and dedicated to her artform and a bright light to us all. Our hearts go out to her loved ones.”

She was shot twice in the chest, police told AZ Family. Court documents say evidence shows Christopher Hoopes shot her from the foot of their bed and called 911 four minutes later, the station reported.

Colleen Hoopes was taken to a hospital, where she later died, police said. An investigation into the shooting continues.

“From the time she was 2 1/2, she said, ‘I want to be a ballerina,’ and I said, ‘We don’t have money for dance lessons. We can’t take dance lessons until you’re 4,’ and she kept saying, ‘Am I 4 yet, am I 4 yet?’” her mother, Deb Buckley, told KSAZ.

Colleen Hoopes performed in “Swan Lake,” “Sleeping Beauty,” “The Nutcracker,” “Cinderella” and “Eroica” with Ballet Arizona, among others, The Arizon Republic reported. She joined the company in 2017 after professional ballet training at the Draper Center for Dance Education in Rochester, N.Y., and after attending Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music.

This story was originally published May 24, 2022 at 11:21 AM with the headline "Ballerina shot to death after husband says she startled him, Arizona cops say."