A jury in Tucson returned a guilty verdict on May 15, finding Bariki Hopkins guilty of second-degree murder in the death of his girlfriend, 26-year-old Anisa Moreno. The verdict covers the killing that occurred earlier this year; the jury did not find Hopkins guilty of first-degree murder. Courtroom observers and records show the decision was reached after prosecutors presented their case and jurors considered the evidence presented during the trial.
According to the Tucson Police Department, Hopkins and Moreno shared a residence in the area near South Kino Parkway and 36th Street. Authorities say the two were involved in an argument in the early morning hours of Jan. 30, 2025, and that the confrontation escalated before Moreno was shot. TPD reports state that she was struck in the back of the head and that the wound produced life-threatening injuries.
Emergency responders transported Moreno to a hospital where she was treated for those injuries; she later died while under medical care. The police account identifies Hopkins as the person who fired the shot that wounded Moreno. The details released by law enforcement place the incident at approximately 3:30 a.m. on the date in question, and they indicate the pair lived together at the location cited by investigators.
Defendant seated at the defense table with attorneys and courtroom staff during trial proceedings in Tucson.
Court records reflect that Hopkins faced trial on charges stemming from the January shooting. The jury’s May 15 verdict established criminal responsibility for second-degree murder, a determination distinct from a first-degree murder conviction; the jury explicitly did not return a guilty verdict on the first-degree count. The proceedings culminated in the judge accepting the jury’s verdict and the case moving forward under the applicable criminal statutes and court procedures.
The authorities’ public statements identify Moreno by name and age and note that she was pregnant at the time of the shooting. Those facts were presented to the jury as part of the prosecution’s case. Law enforcement investigators collected and reviewed evidence related to the shooting and provided their account of the events leading up to Moreno’s transport to a medical facility after she sustained a gunshot wound to the back of the head.
During trial, jurors considered testimony and evidence reflecting the timeline provided by Tucson police, including the location of the shared residence near South Kino Parkway and 36th Street, the early-morning argument, and the shooting itself. The jury’s decision to convict on the second-degree murder charge, while declining to convict on the first-degree charge, reflected their assessment of the elements required for each offense as instructed by the judge during deliberations.
The conviction marks a resolution by a jury in a case that began with a late-night dispute and ended with Moreno’s death from injuries sustained in a gunshot wound. Tucson Police Department officials and court filings remain the sources of the facts released about the incident, the identities of those involved, and the timing of events. The legal process in the matter advanced to the point of trial and a jury verdict on May 15, with the second-degree murder conviction entered against Hopkins as the outcome of those proceedings.