Three people were killed and two others were injured in a shooting at a residence in Hawaii on Saturday night as a result of a neighbor dispute, according to authorities. A resident also fatally shot the shooter and was charged with second-degree murder.
According to witnesses, a 58-year-old man used a front-end loader to ram cars into a home where a family gathering was taking place, then opened fire on people gathered in the carport, fatally shooting three women at the residence in Waianae, a community about 30 miles west of downtown Honolulu, Honolulu police detective Lt. Deena Thoemmes said at a press conference.
At some point, a 42-year-old guy who lived in the house fatally shot the suspect with a firearm, she told a news conference. A police representative did not immediately respond to a phone call or email requesting information about why the resident was arrested.
Thoemmes said the women who were killed were 34, 36, and 29. She stated that a 31-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman were transported to the hospital in critical condition.
Thoemmes said the suspect, who was not recognized, had four 55-gallon barrels filled with an unknown fuel in the front-end loader. Witnesses said that he shot rounds into them, but authorities have yet to substantiate this, she said.
The shootings are the latest in a string of recent incidents in the neighborhood that have prompted police to commit to combat gun violence, according to Police Chief Joe Logan. However, he stated that the shootings on Saturday had nothing to do with the previous ones. He argued that it would be impossible for authorities to avoid such a targeted act from a dispute unless someone contacted them early.
“There have been other incidences in recent months and weeks, but this one is unrelated. Neighbors were responsible for this occurrence. So I’d like to reassure the public that this was not a random act, but rather a deliberate one,” Logan stated.
Before this occurrence, there had been three shootings in Waianae within the last week, according to HawaiiNewsNow.
Logan has previously stated that there will be an increased police presence in the area, according to the station.
“The Honolulu Police Department is increasing, providing more resources in the areas of patrol and plain clothes,” Logan said to the audience. “We’ll be working with our federal partners, to saturate the area and to patrol the area in greater numbers.”