KANSAS CITY, Mo. (TCN) — A 50-year-old man was captured in Kansas after he allegedly shot and killed his girlfriend, two of her family members, and a dog after the girlfriend told him to leave.
Platte County Prosecutor Eric Zahnd spoke at a press conference Monday, Feb. 3, and outlined the “horrific” sequence of events that left three women and a dog dead and one person injured.
According to Zahnd, on Sunday, Feb. 2, at 12:41 a.m., the Kansas City Police Department received a call from a resident on the 4100 block of Northwest 65th Street who said a woman knocked on her door and claimed her mother’s ex-boyfriend opened fire in her home. Officers responded to the area and found 49-year-old Jodie Hopcus, 73-year-old Sherri Duncan, and 24-year-old Hailey Hopcus deceased from gunshot wounds.
The surviving victim told police that she lived in the home with her mother, grandmother, sister, and the suspect, Armando Navarro. On the night of the incident, Navarro and Jodie Hopcus got into an argument and she allegedly told him to leave. Navarro said he did not have anywhere to go, then reportedly walked back and forth between the kitchen and his bedroom.
The victims thought Navarro was collecting his belongings, but he reportedly came out of his room with a handgun and shot Jodie Hopcus in the arm multiple times until he ran out of bullets. The surviving victim tried to help her mother, but Navarro reportedly threatened her with a knife.
Zahnd said Navarro left and returned shortly thereafter with a larger firearm. He reportedly “held it under his chin like he was going to shoot himself,” but he then shot Jodie Hopcus in the face. The surviving victim said her grandmother was on the ground “staring at the ceiling, motionless” and was already dead. Hailey Hopcus reportedly told her sister to get out the house, which allegedly caused Navarro to shoot Hailey Hopcus and fire at her sister. The survivor “felt the projectile hit her hair and saw some of her hair on the floor.”
According to Zahnd, the survivor ran to a neighbor’s house for help as Navarro yelled her name. Navarro reportedly took Jodie Hopcus’ SUV and fled. Kansas City Police detectives tracked the vehicle to Abilene, Kansas, in Dickinson County, so they contacted the sheriff’s office for assistance.
As it turns out, the sheriff’s office had already been in communication with Navarro because on the morning of Feb. 2, deputies responded to Kansas Highway 15 for a motorist needing assistance. They spoke with Navarro and saw his car was stuck in a ditch. He said he was waiting for a tow truck, and the deputy told him he would follow up with him later.
The sheriff’s office learned that Navarro was wanted in Platte County, so deputies and Kansas Highway Patrol went back to the area where Navarro was waiting for the tow truck. As officials waited for an armored vehicle from a neighboring police department, Navarro fled the area, leading to a “brief foot pursuit.” Deputies deployed a K-9, and Navarro surrendered.
Navarro’s son also called the Kansas City Police Department and requested a welfare check at the home because Navarro allegedly called him and said he “killed them all.”
Navarro was arrested and is in custody in Kansas as he awaits extradition to Missouri.
He is charged with three counts of first-degree murder, four counts of armed criminal action, one count of first-degree assault, and one count of animal abuse. Zahnd announced he will review the case to determine if he will bring the death penalty against Navarro.
Zahnd said at the press conference, “This is a horrific crime. It’s one of the worst crimes that I’ve prosecuted in my 22 years. Three women are dead, and a surviving victim lost her mother, her grandmother, and her sister. My prayers are with the entire family.”
