Littleton police on Thursday issued a first-degree murder warrant for a 32-year-old man being sought in the shooting death of another man.
Police are seeking Joshua Hoppe, said Cmdr. Trent Cooper, a department spokesman.
The shooting happened at 8:05 p.m. in the 500 block of West Peakview Avenue in the front yard of a home. The shooter fled on foot and eluded police, Cooper said.
The 55-year-old victim and suspect knew each other and had a “personal quarrel that went bad,” Cooper said.
Police do not believe that the general public is in danger because of the personal motive involving the shooting.
“We don’t have any reason to believe he is a danger to the public at-large,” Cooper said. “But don’t try to approach him. He is a suspect in a homicide. People should back off and call us.”
Hoppe is described at a white man, 5-foot-10, 200 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes. He was wearing blue jeans and a long-sleeve black T-shirt at the time of the shooting.
He was last seen running from the scene toward South Broadway in Littleton. Authorities at Littleton Adventist Hospital put the facility on lockdown after the shooting.
The victim, a Littleton resident, has not been identified, pending notification of relatives.
Police have interviewed several witnesses, and the investigation is ongoing.
Hoppe has a history of criminal charges dating back to 2004, according to Colorado Bureau of Investigation records. Most of his charges are for drug and weapons-related crimes.
Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822, knicholson@denverpost.com or twitter.com/kierannicholson
