KANSAS CITY, MO — A quiet neighborhood in the 4100 block of NW 65th Street was shattered by an unthinkable act of violence in the early hours of Sunday, February 2, 2025. Armando Navarro, 50, has been charged with the shooting deaths of three women and a dog, as well as the attempted murder of a surviving family member, in what authorities describe as a horrific domestic incident. The tragedy has left a community in mourning and raised urgent questions about the escalation of domestic disputes into fatal violence.
The Kansas City Police Department (KCPD) responded to a distress call around 12:40 a.m. after a neighbor reported that a woman, visibly shaken and injured, had knocked on her door seeking help. The woman, whose identity remains undisclosed, told the neighbor she had been shot at. Officers arriving at the scene were met with a grim tableau: three women lay dead from gunshot wounds, a dog had been fatally shot, and the surviving victim had managed to flee the home to alert neighbors. The victims were identified as Hailey Hopcus, 24; her mother, Jodie Hopcus, 49; and her grandmother, Sherri Duncan, 73. The surviving victim is Hailey’s sister, Jodie’s daughter, and Sherri’s granddaughter, making the loss a devastating blow to a single family.
According to the surviving victim’s account, the violence erupted after a heated argument between Jodie Hopcus and her boyfriend, Armando Navarro. The couple had a history of frequent disputes, and tensions reached a breaking point that night. Navarro, who had been living with the family, pleaded to stay, claiming he had nowhere else to go, while Jodie insisted he leave. As the surviving victim prepared for bed, she overheard the escalating confrontation. What began as a verbal altercation quickly turned deadly when Navarro retrieved a small handgun and opened fire.
Jodie Hopcus was the first to be shot, struck in the arm as she attempted to shield her daughter. When Navarro ran out of ammunition, he grabbed a kitchen knife and later armed himself with a larger firearm. At one point, he held the gun under his chin as if contemplating suicide, adding a chilling layer to the chaos. Despite Jodie’s efforts to protect her daughter, Navarro shot her in the head as she tried to escape. Sherri Duncan, the family’s matriarch, was already motionless on the floor by this time, having succumbed to her injuries. The surviving victim narrowly escaped after Navarro fired at her, with a bullet grazing her hair. She fled to a neighbor’s home, where she heard Navarro calling her name before he fled the scene in a white 2020 Ford Expedition registered to one of the victims.
Navarro’s flight ended in Abilene, Kansas, where he was apprehended by the Dickinson County Sheriff’s Department and the Kansas Highway Patrol. His capture came after his son contacted authorities around 2:00 a.m., reporting that Navarro had called him and confessed, “I killed them all.” Navarro is now in custody at the Dickinson County Jail, facing multiple charges, including three counts of first-degree murder, four counts of armed criminal action, one count of first-degree assault, and one count of animal abuse. His initial court appearance has not yet been scheduled.
The investigation into the incident remains ongoing, with the Missouri Bureau of Investigation (MBI) assisting in forensic analysis and evidence collection. Authorities are urging anyone with additional information to come forward, emphasizing the importance of community cooperation in piecing together the full scope of the tragedy. Tips can be submitted anonymously through Crime Stoppers at (816) 474-TIPS.
This heartbreaking incident underscores the devastating consequences of domestic violence and the urgent need for intervention in volatile relationships. The loss of three generations of women in a single family has left an indelible mark on the Kansas City community, serving as a stark reminder of the fragility of life and the importance of addressing domestic conflicts before they escalate to irreversible outcomes. As the legal process unfolds, the focus remains on seeking justice for the victims and supporting those left to grapple with the aftermath of this unimaginable loss.
