HONOLULU — Three people were killed and two others were injured in a shooting at a home that stemmed from a dispute between neighbors Saturday night in Hawaii, police said. The shooter was also fatally shot by a resident, who was arrested on a second-degree murder charge.
Witnesses reported that a 58-year-old man used a front-end loader to drive cars into the 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 Wainanae, a community about 30 miles (48 kilometers) west of downtown Honolulu, said Honolulu Police Detective Lt. Deena Thoemmes.
At some point, a 42-year-old man who lived in the home fatally shot the suspect with a handgun, she said at a news conference. A police spokesperson did not immediately respond to a phone message or email seeking details about why the resident was arrested.
The women killed were 34, 36 and 29, Thoemmes said. A 31-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman were taken to hospital in critical condition, she said.
The suspect, who was not identified, had four 55-gallon drums containing an unknown fuel in the front loader, Thoemmes said. Witnesses reported that he fired shots at them but police have not yet confirmed that, she said.
The shootings are the latest of several shootings in recent weeks in the area that have prompted police to vow to work to combat gun violence, Police Chief Joe Logan said at the news conference. But he said Saturday’s shootings were not related to the previous ones. He suggested that it would be difficult for the police to prevent such targeted action arising from a dispute unless someone came forward earlier.