Man Fatally Shoots Wife After She Startled Him During Night: Police

An Arizona man who shot and killed his wife, a talented ballerina, told police he fired after she startled him in the middle of the night.

Tempe Police Department (TPD) officers raced to 1415 S. College Avenue following reports of a shooting at 3:45 a.m. on Friday, May 20.

Police said the 911 caller, later identified as Christopher Hoopes, told officers he was "startled by his wife in the middle of the night and subsequently shot her."

"When officers arrived on the scene, they located the victim, identified as 25-year-old Colleen Hoopes, inside the residence with a gunshot wound," a police statement said on Monday.

"The victim was transported to the hospital, where she was pronounced deceased. Christopher Hoopes was arrested and has been charged with 2nd-degree murder and unlawful discharge of a weapon. The investigation is ongoing and no further information is available," the statement said.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, a database that collects information about shootings from across the U.S., five people in Tempe have been fatally shot this year.

Hoopes was a gifted ballerina and appeared in performances with Ballet Arizona in Phoenix. Following her death, the ballet company paid tribute to her in a Facebook post on Wednesday.

It read: "We are heartbroken to learn of the passing of company dancer, Colleen Hoopes. We dedicate our performances of Round: Reimagined For A New Stage to Colleen and the passion she brought to the stage.

"Her kindness and talent always shone through whether she was serving as a dancer, teacher or friend.

"Colleen was an integral part of the Ballet Arizona family and will be missed deeply. She was passionate and dedicated to her art form and a bright light to us all. Our hearts go out to her loved ones."

According to the Indiana University School of Music Ballet Department, Hoopes graduated in 2017 and danced with Rochester City Ballet before she moved to Ballet Arizona.

It added: "Our faculty and alumni grieve her passing and send our love, support, and condolences to her family and friends. Her parents, Deb and Ed Buckley hope to found a ballet scholarship in her name."

Newsweek has contacted the TPD for comment.

According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been 177 fatal shootings in the state of Arizona this year.

Newsweek has reported on numerous cases of accidental shootings across the U.S.

Earlier this year, a woman in Ohio accidentally shot her boyfriend in the face after he tried to show her how to use a firearm.

According to documents seen by ABC/CW affiliate WTVG, Christopher Antron Scott Jr. had been showing his girlfriend Anna Sigarroa how to use a gun at their home when a struggle broke out.

During the struggle, the gun went off and Scott Jr. was shot in the mouth. According to the network, Scott Jr. then drove himself to a nearby hospital.