A Missouri man is facing multiple charges after allegedly killing three generations of women from the same family and a dog in a horrific shooting spree. Armando Navarro Jr., 50, has been charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action, assault, and animal abuse in connection with the deaths of 49-year-old Jodie Hopcus, her 73-year-old mother Sherri Duncan, and 24-year-old daughter Hailey Hopcus.
Navarro, the ex-boyfriend of Jodie Hopcus, allegedly carried out the deadly attack early Sunday morning at a home on the 4100 block of NW 65th Street in Kansas City. According to Platte County Prosecuting Attorney Eric Zahnd, the incident began with an argument between Navarro and Jodie, which escalated into violence, per KSHB.
A surviving victim, another daughter of Jodie, managed to escape and alerted a neighbor to call 911. Police arrived to find Jodie, Sherri, Hailey, and a family dog fatally shot. The surviving victim told investigators that Navarro, who lived in the home, had been asked to leave after the argument intensified.
She stated that Navarro was seen moving between his room and the kitchen, presumably gathering his belongings, before he emerged armed with a handgun and opened fire. According to a probable cause affidavit, Navarro initially shot Jodie in the arm. When his smaller firearm ran out of bullets, he allegedly returned with a kitchen knife and a larger gun, which he held under his chin as if threatening to take his own life.
The surviving victim recounted that her mother tried to shield her during the attack but was shot in the head as she attempted to flee. Sherri Duncan was already lying motionless on the ground by that time. Navarro fled the scene in a white 2020 Ford Expedition but was later apprehended in Abilene, Kansas, by the Dickinson Sheriff’s Department and Kansas Highway Patrol.
Investigators revealed that Navarro’s son had called police around 2 a.m., stating that his father had contacted him and claimed he “killed them all.” The tragedy has left the community in shock. A GoFundMe page set up to cover funeral expenses described Jodie as a “beautiful person” who was “caring, funny, and always positive.”
Julia Marciales, a friend and coworker of Jodie, wrote, “Jodie was laid back and kind, her passing is unimaginable.” She added that Jodie, Sherri, and Hailey are survived by the youngest daughter, Angel, who witnessed the attack but miraculously escaped with her life. As Navarro faces justice, the family and community mourn the loss of three beloved women whose lives were tragically cut short.