Man charged after allegedly killing girlfriend, then shooting self

CATAWBA COUNTY, N.C. — A woman is dead and her boyfriend was rushed to a hospital with a gunshot wound to the face after a domestic incident on March 7 at a home near Maiden in Catawba County.

The sheriff said his department initially received three different 911 calls with different versions of what happened at the home.

Deputies identified Angela Tremble as the woman that was shot and killed. Her boyfriend, Jeffrey Hoppes, shot himself, deputies said.

(Jeffrey Hoppes)

Hoppes’ uncle, Rick Beard, can't believe his nephew would shoot and kill his girlfriend.

"It's not Jeff,” Beard said. “I don't know what happened. He'd do anything he could for you. Something must have snapped. I don't understand."

[PHOTOS: Scene of hostage situation]

Deputies brought in a SWAT team, believing they possibly had a hostage situation on Topaz Drive. Authorities said because dispatchers received several 911 calls, they didn't want to take any chance and decided to bring in SWAT.

Investigators said they executed a search warrant and recovered a rifle from inside the home.

Hopps was in critical condition after the incident and was later charged with first-degree murder.

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