We recognise you are attempting to access this website from a country belonging to the European Economic Area (EEA) including the EU which enforces the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and therefore cannot grant you access at this time e-mail us at news@kitv.com or call us at 808-535-0400  Get the best experience and stay connected to your community with our Spectrum News app. Learn More The Honolulu Department of Parks and Recreation announced a two-week closure of a portion of Ulehawa Beach Park in Waianae to remove trash and homeless encampments.  The closed area of the park is on the makai-side of Farrington Highway between the Hawaii Harvest Chinese Christian Alliance Church and Lualei Place The adjacent parking lot and bathroom facilities will remain open and designated routes through the closed area will allow ocean access.  City crews will use the Stored Property Ordinance which allows the city to get rid of personal property left in public places On Saturday, May 10, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., a volunteer cleanup will take place. The City asks volunteers to meet‌ at the parking lot near the closure at 7:30 a.m., wear covered-toe shoes, heavy-duty gloves, a hat, and sun protection. Organizers will provide trash bags, water, and bentos. Volunteers may register ahead of time with Councilmember Tupola’s office by emailing councildistrict1@honolulu.gov or calling 808-861-2208 A post shared by Honolulu Parks & Recreation (@honolulu_parks) The Honolulu Police Department urges motorists to stay alert and drive safely while near Ulehawa Beach park during the partial closure and cleanup efforts officials expect there to be more activity from volunteers and City workers in the area.  Similar park closures in the area took place in April and November 2024 to allow for cleanups.   Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading The less-pleasant facts of island life include this one: If you live in a coastal community with a single major access route evacuating that home in times of emergency The worst of the range of possibilities was visited on Lahaina There is no doubt that Waianae Coast residents who also face their share of fire hazards as well as regular traffic gridlock are painfully aware of the ongoing transportation deficits linking the West Side to the rest of Oahu they are right to be vexed about relief of any sort taking so long to materialize despite recent cuts in federal dollars for one key project there needs to be a sustained priority placed upon making transportation options more robust for this part of the island to make normal transit in and out of the Farrington Highway corridor more reliable In the first bucket is the Waianae Coast Emergency Access Route Paakea and Lualualei Naval roads to produce a bypass of the highway repairing this 1937-vintage military route from Lualualei to Schofield to the north and making it available in emergencies for civilian vehicles It is a crucial alternative to Farrington Highway for exiting the coastal area altogether surely spurred by concern about disaster risk the current version of the annual National Defense Authorization Act includes requests by Hawaii’s congressional delegation for short- and long-term repairs and maintenance These are difficult fiscal times but Hawaii’s delegation needs to remain vigilant to give the initiative its best funding chance lies in making the more routine commutes more livable it was disappointing to learn that a federal grant for $4.8 million to the City and County of Honolulu was cut by the federal administration funds meant to underwrite a planning and engineering study for an 18-mile transit corridor between the Waianae Coast and the Skyline rail system deputy director of the city Department of Transportation Services an effort to underscore its importance to the community of some 53,000 people and 12,000 jobs is to explore various options for creating a transit corridor — likely a dedicated bus lane — to provide a real commuting alternative for those frequent traffic tie-ups that can immobilize Farrington Highway commuters for hours The grant request is titled “Transportation Equity for the Wai‘anae Coast: SkyBus to Skyline.” City officials have tried to address the inequity for years starting with Honolulu’s first 24/7 bus service Now it’s time for government at all levels to keep these initiatives on the front burner and deliver safety and convenience to neighborhoods that should not be cut off the completion of improvements to Paakea Road — which would provide secondary access for a roughly six-mile stretch between Nanakuli and Mailiili Beach — has been moved to the fall of 2025 According to the Hawaii Department of Transportation the primary reason for the delay is the acquisition of land needed for HDOT to do the work and open the road for public use This involves acquiring private properties along Paakea Road between Mailiili Road and Hakimo Road; transfer of the city-owned portion of Paakea Road between Hakimo Road and Lualualei Naval Road to the state; and obtaining the easement on Lualualei Naval Road from Farrington Highway to Paakea Road round-the-clock alternative to Farrington Highway is important for Waianae Coast residents for emergencies and daily commutes,” said Hawaii Department of Transportation Director Ed Sniffen in a release “HDOT continues to work on cost-effective measures like the Paakea Road Improvements to increase the reliability of our ground transportation systems.” The work involves the completion of road resurfacing including cold planing and pavement reconstruction where needed; gate removal; and other construction to meet public road standards such as upgrade to guardrails our community faces heavy traffic along Farrington Highway and the constant risk of having only one way in and out,” said Representative Darius K “Having alternate routes is a necessity for the residents of the Waianae Coast it becomes clear that this isn’t just about reducing traffic it’s about protecting lives and ensuring we’re prepared in times of emergency.” Two residents were transported to The Queen’s Medical Center-West Oahu as a result of a house fire in Waianae this evening The Honolulu Fire Department received a 911 call at 5:34 p.m reporting a building fire at 85-125 Alawa Place with 12 fire units staffed with 40 personnel responding The first unit arrived on scene at 5:39 p.m to find a fire burning within a single-story residence and the two residents outside of the structure Firefighters had the blaze under control by 5:46 p.m. searches of the structure were done to confirm no occupants remained inside Both residents were transferred to Emergency Medical Services crews for medical treatment at 5:57 p.m Additional information on the pair and their condition was not immediately available The American Red Cross was contacted to assist the five residents displaced by the fire HFD said an investigation has been initiated to determine the fire’s origin and cause and provide damage estimates Investigative stories and local news updates Coverage of the Hawaiʻi State legislature in 2025 Award winning in-depth reports and featured on-going series Get the week’s news delivered straight to your inbox were identified as the three women killed in the Saturday night rampage One worked for an insurance company; another for a bank The three women were described by loved ones as being kind generous and talented before they were killed by a neighbor who opened fire after driving a front-end loader into a carport late Saturday on Waianae Valley Road The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s office on Wednesday identified the victims of the rampage as Courtney Raymond-Arakaki Raymond-Arakaki’s boyfriend and her aunt want people to remember her for how much she cared for others “She’s an angel,” said her boyfriend of six years “She had a lot of love and aloha to share with everyone.” The medical examiner’s statement also confirmed that the 59-year-old shooter was killed by a gunshot wound in the torso The violence, which police said escalated after beginning as a dispute between neighbors, was the deadliest of a spate of recent shootings and has shaken the close-knit Westside community The medical examiner’s report underscored the horror of the tragedy as people who had gathered for a party tried to flee after Silva rammed the tractor into several vehicles Police said he was armed with a pistol and a long gun Cherell Keamo was killed by a gunshot to the head while Raymond-Arakaki and Amasiu both died of multiple gunshot wounds was shot to death by one of the home’s residents Carnate was arrested on suspicion of murder in the second degree and later released pending investigation “Everyone’s just reeling from this catastrophic tragedy that we have to pick up the remains from and figure out a way forward,” said state Rep “All of our community members are mourning the loss of some great people.”  Gates said he went to Waianae High School with Amasiu and both graduated in 2011 Amasiu recently worked for First Hawaiian Bank Cherell Keamo also graduated from Waianae High School, in 2006, and was a part of Searider Productions, a multimedia program based at the school “She was amazingly open and inclusive,” he said “She was such a ‘bring everybody together’ kind of person Keamo also showed early talent as a video producer and traveled with the program to multiple conferences on the mainland One award-winning piece she produced was a public service announcement about her younger brother who died of leukemia in 2002 at the age of 12 The PSA was about the importance of bone marrow donation which could have saved her brother. She traveled to Minneapolis in 2005 to accept an award for the piece.  She continued to use her video production skills later in life, posting videos about travels to Disney World and Las Vegas on her YouTube channel But Allen especially remembered her for how kind and helpful she was with her classmates He considered himself a tough teacher at the time but said Keamo inspired him to be more empathetic with his students.  “I learned a lot from her and the way she approached how to help people,” he said was known for her kindness and how much she cared for others Wyman Keamo said Raymond-Arakaki’s top priority was family and she loved to babysit her nieces and a nephew Their favorite destinations were Disneyland and Las Vegas “Words can’t describe how awesome of a person she is,” he said who worked as a senior associate in the claims department of an insurance company was the oldest of five siblings and always sacrificed to help her family she stepped up to the plate to care for her loved ones.  for her sisters and her brother,” she said She was close not only with her own family but also with the Keamo family through her boyfriend “We were all waiting for them to get married.” Raymond-Arakaki dreamed of getting married and having kids of her own her loved ones are mourning a life cut short (her boyfriend is) planning a funeral,” she said.  Arakaki said news of the shooting traveled fast between family members So many loved ones are now left devastated “For the first few minutes when I heard it I couldn’t even cry because I was in such shock and disbelief,” she said when people kept calling us and we watched the news and everything It’s not something that you ever want to be woken up to.” Following a spate of violence including the fatal shooting last weekend in Waianae Civil Beat will hold a pop-up newsroom to hear directly from Westside residents about their concerns and ideas for solutions to the problems facing the community Unfortunately, being named a finalist for a Pulitzer prize doesn’t make us immune to financial pressures. The fact is, our revenue hasn’t kept pace with our need to grow, and we need your help Civil Beat is a nonprofit, reader-supported newsroom based in Hawaiʻi. We’re looking to build a more resilient, diverse and deeply impactful media landscape, and we hope you’ll help by supporting our essential journalism Madeleine Valera is a reporter for Civil Beat. You can reach her by email at mlist@civilbeat.org and follow her on Twitter at @madeleine_list Civil Beat has been named the best overall news site in Hawaii for the 14th year in a row by the Society of Professional Journalists Hawaii Chapter The Honolulu Prosecuting Attorney’s Office declined to file charges Rishard Keamo-Carnate will not be charged after he was arrested for killing a neighbor who stormed onto Keamo-Carnate’s property and shot five people Keamo-Carnate, 42, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder after killing his neighbor, Hiram Silva, 59, on Aug. 31. Prosecutors declined to charge him Wednesday, citing “issues related to self defense and defense of others,” according to a news release by the Honolulu Police Department At around 11:15 p.m. on Aug. 31, Silva drove a front-end loader into Keamo-Carnate’s home on Waianae Valley Road before opening fire on bystanders as they tried to flee. Three women Keamo-Carnate was released from police custody at 7:55 p.m Some community members were outraged that Keamo-Carnate was arrested. The incident sparked discussions among lawmakers about strengthening Hawaii’s self-defense laws “Justice in this case clearly was that my client was within his rights to defend himself and others and they’re not prosecuting him,” Keamo-Carnate’s attorney “Thank God they did the right thing.” Green said he is pursuing civil action against the city and Silva’s estate which is one of the state’s deadliest in the last 20 years has also left residents of West Oahu shaken as violent crime has increased in the area The Honolulu Police Department has said it is sending dozens of additional reserve officers to patrol the Westside district and will meet every two weeks to discuss strategy Health center officials want to expand mental health programs but ER expenses are eating into the budget State funding for the Waianae Coast’s only emergency room has stagnated for the last 16 years even as subsidies for other rural health centers in Hawaii have increased a Civil Beat review of budget records has found The Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center on Oahu’s Westside started receiving state funds to cover overnight emergency room operations in the 1980s its allotment has averaged about $1.4 million a year A health center in Hana that gets state funding for services that include urgent care saw its four-year contract with the state rise more than 19% between 2016 and 2020 to $5.4 million; a four-year contract with the Molokai General Hospital that includes emergency services went up 3% during the same time period which serves nearly 50,000 coastal residents has had to pull operating revenues – including from patient services – to cover millions of dollars in budget shortfalls each year to keep its emergency services staffed between 12 a.m “We do what we can but we can’t reach our dreams,” said Stephen Bradley director of medicine at the Waianae Coast center Top of mind is an expansion of a program that places clinical psychologists in area schools Bradley said in an interview that they’ve asked the Department of Health why the emergency room subsidies have not increased but they haven’t been given a clear explanation even after providing data points on how their costs to operate the ER have increased In response to questions from Civil Beat about disparities in funding for the health centers the DOH said in a written statement that the Waianae center could receive more if it documents its uncompensated costs between midnight and 8 a.m It costs the center about $5.7 million a year to operate emergency services during those hours the center needs to keep its lab and other services such as medical imaging open overnight Officials at the Waianae health center are projecting a $4.5 million shortfall this year for their overnight emergency services alone operating the emergency room requires about $13.3 million a year Hawaii has 14 federally qualified health centers that provide medical services to people with low income or those without medical insurance They’re paid for in part by the state’s tax on tobacco products That covers primary care services at the health centers and helps subsidize emergency care in Waianae and in Hana on Maui That funding source has grown over the years, with a current cash balance of about $18.8 million. Spending is capped at $12.4 million and actual expenditures topped $10.5 million last fiscal year, according to a 2023 report “There is room for the Department of Health to actually increase the allocation to Waianae,” said Eric Abe policy director of the Hawaii Primary Care Association The Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center recently signed another four-year contract locking its emergency room subsidy at $1.4 million a year through at least 2028 Waianae Coast Comprehensive opened its emergency room in 1976 with limited hours The Legislature began allocating funds to the center in 1986 to keep its ER open 24 hours a day “Waianae residents are the only people on Oahu who are not within 30 minutes of a full service hospital,” lawmakers wrote in a committee report on the budget that year “The upgrading of this facility will lead to increased accessibility to quality medical services.” it’s about a half-hour drive to the next nearest emergency room at The Queen's Medical Center - West Oahu in Ewa Pali Momi in Aiea is at least 45 minutes away With traffic it can take more than an hour Last year the Waianae center had more than 21,000 emergency room visits But the emergency room can handle most other critical incidents before releasing people back to their homes or to other hospitals  “Anytime the TV comes on and you hear so and so is brought to the local hospital  — well the local hospital is Waianae’s emergency room,” Bradley said The impasse over emergency room funding is stalling the health center’s expansion at schools on the Waianae Coast It currently has three clinical psychologists four advanced practice registered nurses and one social worker to cover six campuses.  The goal is to be in every school on the coast which would require about six or seven additional clinical psychologists Under a partnership with the state Department of Education those teams work out of offices and rooms that they convert into satellite clinics at the schools The center pays for all the medical equipment in those clinics Workers say they help teens dealing with relationship issues and transitioning from middle to high school They’ve also worked to develop unique solutions for their high population of Native Hawaiian students with a particular focus on culturally based education the health center ran a leadership program for high school students called Hooulu Na Mamo.  how to take care of themselves through traditional practices,” said Ariel Panui “They can have a foundation and become better leaders The more they learn about their own culture and themselves the better leaders they will be for future generations.” The annual state contract with Hana Health is now at $1.8 million up from $1.1 million last fiscal year based on the center's documented cost reports said the state’s subsidies account for about 25% to 30% of her clinic’s annual budget Vasconcellos said Hana Health’s role is much different than Waianae’s Hana Health serves a much smaller population The goal is also just to stabilize patients before they are taken to Maui Memorial Medical Center Vasconcellos said she’s thankful for the state’s support Support for hospitals serving rural populations under the Hawaii Health Systems Corp The health system includes hospitals in rural parts of the Big Island as well as on Maui The Legislature increased the general fund allocation for the health system’s hospitals from $105 million in 2016 to $160 million in 2024 is not part of that health system and doesn't get funding through its appropriations Lawmakers have looked for other ways to help buoy the Waianae health center’s emergency room the Legislature approved a $1 million grant for overnight operations The health center received funds for a renovation project But permanent funding increases have been hard to come by lawmakers proposed earmarking $5.2 million in the state budget each year for emergency services at Waianae Coast Comprehensive Another measure in 2022 to give additional funds to the center annually also failed Although the center has had to move money around to cover those deficits Its most recent tax filings show $94.3 million in total revenues against $89.1 million in total expenses Its revenues included $13.3 million in government grants and we’ve overcome the fact that we have not had an increase in these subsidies,” said Nicholas Hughey Civil Beat's coverage of Native Hawaiian issues and initiatives is supported by a grant from the Abigail Kawananakoa Foundation Civil Beat’s community health coverage is supported by the Atherton Family Foundation, Swayne Family Fund of Hawaii Community Foundation, the Cooke Foundation and Papa Ola Lokahi Blaze Lovell is a reporter for Civil Beat. Born and raised on Oʻahu, Lovell is a graduate of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. You can reach him at blovell@civilbeat.org. Community members say events in venues without permits are common on the Westside while the city says it cannot do much more than issue violations Complaints about a party on Hiram Silva’s property in 2021 led a city inspector to pay a visit to his home on Oahu’s Westside Silva let the inspector know he had a gun in his car.   “It was not a friendly meeting,” said Dawn Apuna director of the Honolulu Department of Planning and Permitting.  the inspector issued a notice of violation for a large tent-like structure that didn’t have a permit – and left But neither the visit nor the violation seemed to curtail operations at the so-called Silva Dome. Parties continued for the next three years until Aug. 31, when Silva shot five people at a neighbor’s home on Waianae Valley Road before being fatally shot himself by the neighbor.  The planning department has little power to compel landowners to comply or even to allow inspectors onto their properties to investigate complaints The department also prioritizes cracking down on violators that draw more consistent community complaints Although community members say they were concerned about some of the events at the Silva Dome the department says it only received the one complaint – the one about the party in 2021.  A handful of other illegal party venues exist on agricultural land between Waianae and Nanakuli and one other has been cited by the planning department for hosting large events But many community members see the value such venues bring to a community without many options for places to gather and celebrate.   “That’s why we have to come to some type of agreement,” said Philip Ganaban chair of the Waianae Coast Neighborhood Board We don’t have spaces anymore to be able to do these We have to acknowledge the cultural practice of being able to gather and celebrate specific things some community members – who have long felt their concerns on the Westside neglected by city and state officials – blamed city planning for not taking more action against the Silva Dome Silva drove a frontloader into his neighbor’s home at around 11:15 p.m. on Aug. 31 before opening fire on bystanders and shooting into 55-gallon drums of fuel he was carrying on the machine. One of the home’s residents, Rishard Keamo-Carnate, then fatally shot him. Prosecutors on Wednesday decided not to pursue charges against Keamo-Carnate Ganaban said about 200 people had attended a party at the dome that night Although they were supposed to leave the property by 10 p.m. some were racing and burning rubber on the narrow Members of the Keamo-Carnate family confronted partygoers “All of this could have been prevented if that tent would have been taken down,” Waianae Coast Neighborhood Board member Johnnie-Mae Perry said during a community meeting on Sept But city officials say the planning department is not an enforcement agency and there isn’t much they can do beyond issuing violations and fines The agency issued an illegal grading violation against the property in August 2013 which today still carries outstanding fines of more than $587,250 the inspector issued the violation for the tent structure Apuna said the inspector didn’t call police after Silva showed him the gun in his car because Silva didn’t actually pick it up and threaten him with it Inspectors are used to dealing with property owners who aren’t happy to see them but they’re not supposed to confront potentially dangerous people they’re not trained to deal with that kind of situation other than to just leave for their own safety,” she said provided to Civil Beat show that the inspector had driven by the property eight times since the original complaint in March but the property was always padlocked and the owner wouldn’t respond “I am going to leave 1 more door tag,” the inspector wrote “I am still receiving calls about the large tent still erected.” Apuna said she did not know the date of the inspector’s last visit Sandra Silva – who is also listed as an owner of the property – declined to comment when reached by phone Silva’s daughter did not respond to a Facebook message.  Honolulu Police Department spokeswoman Michelle Yu wrote in an email that before the shooting in August police had only responded to the property twice — once in 2021 during the rowdy party and again in 2023 for a dispute between neighbors The next course of action available to officials would have been foreclosure but the city only goes that route in extreme cases Mayor Rick Blangiardi said the foreclosure process requires extensive city resources and often doesn’t result in the desired outcome Banks are often first in line to get paid after a foreclosure He added that the city prefers to try to get property owners to comply instead of kicking them out of their homes.  The city has supported legislation for the past three years that would allow it to do nonjudicial foreclosures, which happen through an administrative process outside of court. The latest measure, House Bill 106 was carried over to the 2024 session and never received a hearing.  The planning department has also hired a collection agency to help it collect outstanding fines from violators but the focus is illegal short-term rentals which can rack up fines of $10,000 per day.  Blangiardi said the city is making it a priority to crack down on short-term rentals owned by companies outside of Hawaii The illegal rentals drive up rent prices and take homes off the market that could be long-term apartments for local families the fact that the Silva Dome was allowed to remain standing is another example of the city neglecting their community ‘We’re doing everything that we can,’ I find it very very hard to believe,” said Samantha DeCorte chair of the Nanakuli-Maili Neighborhood Board then everybody else would be dealing with the same issues that Waianae is dealing with with the lack of resources we need here “Only Waianae looks like Waianae,” she said “You don’t go to Kailua and it looks like Waianae.” Silva’s property isn’t the only venue in the area that drew the attention of neighbors and the city One popular space known as the Westside Mauka Pavilion at the intersection of Paakea Road and Lualualei Naval Road has a lien against it from 2014 and has accrued $411,250 in fines The planning department has issued five notices of violations including one in 2015 for hosting parties and events on agricultural land The last complaint received about the property was in 2018 according to the planning department.  Westside Mauka Pavilion did not respond to a call and Facebook message seeking comment.  a member of the Waianae Coast Neighborhood Board said the facility has been operating for decades He has looked into renting it out himself.  so I have mixed emotions on how to explain it,” he said Ganaban said there are a handful of other venues in the area Waianae Valley Ranch, less than a mile from Silva’s property on Waianae Valley Road, advertises itself as a wedding venue. A man who answered the phone there said the venue only hosts small events and gatherings. Kapila Gardens is another wedding venue in Waianae, according to its website No one responded to a call or email seeking comment neither of those properties have conditional use permits or approvals to host events but the agency has not issued any violations against them so we will not inspect/investigate unless we have a complaint,” Apuna wrote in an email. “DPP does not have the resources to patrol every single property for compliance with all of our codes and therefore relies heavily upon the community as the eyes and ears.” DeCorte said she doesn’t condone the use of unpermitted event venues but understands the problem presented by a lack of available spaces where community members can gather and hold celebrations One of the few places to do so is at the beach parks where those looking to host an event must apply for a permit through the Department of Parks and Recreation and spaces get reserved quickly once applications go live on the website.  and many of the property owners are kupuna elders who use their family and friends network to rent space on their land and earn extra income “Our city and our state also doesn’t give us much in return to be able to survive in this economy,” she said The planning department has been able to stop illegal events on agricultural land on other parts of the island inspectors cited an illegal Christmas festival at North Shore Stables in Waialua The event was scheduled to last a couple of days and when inspectors returned to re-inspect the activity had stopped and the violation was closed the planning department received an advertisement for an event scheduled to take place at Kia’i Farm of Waialua on Sept An inspector went to the property during the event “Had we sufficient prior notice,” she said “this would have been the same process for the (Silva) dome had they had similar events.”  Silva built the large tent on his 19-acre property in 2018 and started renting it out for events Silva was charging around $2,500 to rent the space plus a $500 deposit The tent was the site of a variety of celebrations, including a baby’s first birthday party and a drive-in commencement ceremony for Waianae High School, based on social media posts, as well as a funeral for a local musician, according to his obituary in the Honolulu Star-Advertiser spokeswoman for the state Department of Education said the commencement ceremony was not a school-sanctioned event Waianae resident Kala-A’na Lindsey said she attended a celebration of life for Hawaiian entertainer Darren Benitez at the dome in 2023 She described it as a “nice event” with music and food and estimated there were about 1,000 people there The hosts sold memorabilia shirts with pictures of Benitez’s face on them.  “I didn’t see anything untoward or disrespectful that night,” she said But it was a concert on the night of March 21 while the state was under Covid-19 restrictions that sparked serious concern among neighbors sent a letter to elected officials describing the mayhem and pleading with them to do something about the Silva Dome She said a drunken driver collided with her family’s car as they were making their way home down Waianae Valley Road The driver then attempted to flee and hit another vehicle “How do I make sure that this NEVER happens to my family “What can I do to prevent illegal activities from occurring?”  She also went to then-Nanakuli-Maili Neighborhood Board Chair Patty Teruya who submitted a formal complaint with the planning department on March 25 Maile Shimabukuro also forwarded Alison Keamo-Carnate’s letter to the department An inspector visited Silva’s property four days later and called Teruya to follow up “She is satisfied with outcome,” says a note written by the inspector Teruya said she doesn’t remember receiving a phone call She said the inspector should have sent a written response so progress could be tracked “We look at departments to be accountable,” she said Apuna said the inspector didn’t feel a written response was required Apuna also encouraged community members to report problem properties and said they can do so anonymously if they fear retaliation.  “I don’t think we failed to investigate when people told us that there was a problem,” she said said he thinks the city has some liability in the Aug 31 shooting because officials knew about the illegal operations at the dome for years He plans to file a lawsuit against the city and Silva’s estate within the next 30 to 40 days “There’s going to be a reckoning between the city and the estate of Silva.” Among seven city projects losing more than $11 million total in federal funds is one that the city should find a way to carry out: planning for a potential rapid transit bus program for the Waianae Coast the city lost $4.8 million for “a very preliminary planning study” to improve transit service along the Waianae Coast from Makaha to the Skyline rail station at University of Hawaii West Oahu But rather than wait till next fiscal year to reapply for funds — good luck with that — it seems the city Department of Transportation Services could start tackling this project as part of its core mission A dispute over a party at a neighbor’s property preceded the shooting Saturday night A large yellow front-end loader is still rammed into the side of a partially collapsed carport at the end of rural Waianae Valley Road which is tucked down the dead-end street surrounded by farmlands and mountains is now the site of one of Hawaii’s deadliest shootings The police cordon that blocked off the area after the weekend killings was gone and not a single police car was in sight in the area Tuesday afternoon which started as a dispute between neighbors and ended up with four people dead including the shooter left the Westside community reeling as it followed a cluster of other shootings in the area in recent weeks “It’s just insanity at its peak,” said Kala-A’na Lindsey a Waianae resident who said she knows both of the families involved in the melee Tensions began to rise Saturday night over a party being hosted on 58-year-old Hiram Silva’s property in a structure he rented out known as the “Silva Dome,” said Philip Ganaban chair of the Waianae Coast Neighborhood Board and friend of the families involved Silva drove the tractor into the home’s carport before opening fire killing three women and wounding two other bystanders who was standing in the driveway at the time Carnate was arrested on suspicion of murder in the second degree and released about 20 hours later pending investigation Carnate’s attorney Michael Green said his client was defending his home and family and had acted legally “This guy had to be stopped before he killed more people,” Green said Tuesday Silva often rented out the tubular prefab building for parties and events that sometimes got rowdy The building sits on property that covers about 19 acres at 85-1383 C Waianae Valley Road County records show the owners as Silva and his wife Sandra Silva declined to comment when reached by phone Tuesday Ganaban also said Silva ran his own trucking business and would often spend time with his children and grandchildren some guests at the party were racing cars up and down the road and burning rubber in the street which has lived for generations in the house adjacent to the Silvas was having its own gathering Saturday night Family members were worried about the safety of the children and went down to the Silva Dome to ask the guests to stop speeding The Keamos had previously talked to Silva about parties in his dome and told him to ask his guests to be respectful and Silva didn’t like other people interfering with his business Sometime after the Keamos confronted the partygoers Silva drove the front-end loader onto the Keamo property People screamed as they tried to flee when Silva rammed several cars in the carport and began shooting Police said Sunday that he also shot into four 55-gallon drums on the front loader that were carrying an unknown type of fuel.  were killed while a 31-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman were injured Ganaban said those killed were all cousins of Carnate Carnate’s arrest provoked outrage among many members of the community although some noted that it was part of the legal process that had to play out Those sentiments were reflected in comments posted on Civil Beat with a large number praising the person who shot the suspect as a hero “People were upset about that because they felt he shouldn’t have been arrested,” Ganaban said Green said Carnate was clearly acting in self-defense “This is a massacre that happened in his yard,” he said “The law is pretty clear you have a right to use deadly force.” Hawaii statute says that deadly force is justifiable if the individual believes it is necessary to protect themselves from death or serious bodily injury But Honolulu Police Chief Joe Logan pointed out Tuesday that Hawaii is not a “stand-your-ground state.” Stand-your-ground laws allow people to defend themselves with lethal force without first trying to escape or retreat from the threatening situation He would not comment specifically on Carnate’s arrest but Logan said anyone who discharges a firearm and injures another person in Hawaii will likely be arrested and investigated They must be released after 48 hours if no charges are filed Police then work with the prosecutor’s office to determine whether the suspect will be charged.  That determination has not yet been made in Carnate’s case Honolulu Prosecutor Steve Alm did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. Alm said Sunday that he does not comment on open investigations Logan said the handgun Carnate used was legally registered Silva had two guns in his possession during the shooting — a pistol and a long gun — and neither was registered Ganaban said the Keamo and Silva families had disputes going back years largely over events held at the Silva Dome The Keamos had brought their concerns to the neighborhood board and the Honolulu Police Department including reporting Silva for shooting his gun on his property Silva threatened to shoot someone in the Keamo family Logan said Tuesday that police did not receive any calls for service to the Keamo house or any homes in the immediate area in 2024 He did not have information on whether police had responded to the neighborhood in prior years Deena Thoemmes said Sunday at a press conference that police responded once to a disagreement between the neighbors in 2023.  But the Silva Dome has long been a source of frustration for the community.  Ganaban said it would sometimes hold concerts and other events during the Covid-19 pandemic when the state was under heavy restrictions The city’s Department of Planning and Permitting has investigated at least 20 community complaints related to the Silva property since 2001 according to City and County of Honolulu spokesman Ian Scheuring fines against the property totaled $587,250 the department received a complaint about a large tent structure on the property but when inspectors repeatedly tried to go onto the land to reinspect the owners did not respond to their requests.  The city has issued five notices of violation on the property one regarding the dome and another for illegal grading which is the process of reshaping land to prepare it for construction work.  DPP has really taken all of the actions available to them in terms of enforcement,” Scheuring said.  Carnate’s main concern now is potential retaliation against himself or his family Green wants to see more police presence in the neighborhood.  Logan said he would provide “additional resources” to the district but did not specify how many additional officers would be sent The district was not at 100% staffing the weekend of the shooting Green said Carnate is home now but his family is concerned about what could happen next.  he sees family members shot to death in his yard.” Civil Beat reporter Blaze Lovell contributed to this report When it comes to sense of place and connection to the land the people of Hawaii certainly maintain a deep bond That’s why environmental justice is important to nurture fair and equitable treatment for all regarding environmental laws So it’s unfortunate that an environmental justice project in Waianae has stalled — snagged when the Environmental Protection Agency froze a $3 million grant for the Earth Island Institute’s Huliau o Waianae initiative The project had intended to empower Native Hawaiian communities and investigate water quality concerns linked to cesspools and landfills Let’s hope the EPA funding freeze thaws soon Traffic A 45-year-old motorcyclist was seriously injured in a hit-and-run crash Wednesday night after a driver disregarded a stop sign in Waianae on Farrington Highway near Old Government Road Police said the motorcyclist was traveling westbound when an unidentified driver failed to stop and entered the highway causing the motorcyclist to broadside the vehicle The driver continued westbound without stopping to render aid Paramedics transported the motorcyclist to a hospital in serious condition Police said he was wearing a helmet at the time of the crash Investigators are still determining whether speed By Paul Honda Editors' Picks Waianae pitcher Chaseten Rice preferred to play catch with his father Waianae pitcher Chaseten Rice pitches against Division I competition in high school and wants to do the same in college It began in a small yard at a modest home on Pokai Bay Drive A toddler grew up next to the ocean with his four older brothers Chaseten Rice was always in the yard longing to throw a ball with his dad a 2-year-old who had no interest in surfing His mastery included a changeup he learned as a freshman at Waianae Rice is having one of the best pitching seasons in school history Though Waianae is classified as a Division II baseball team coach Ben McQuown scheduled an all D-I nonconference schedule The tough schedule was exactly what Rice and his senior classmates wanted the former baseball and football standout from Waianae I get to see him put in the work every day the way he does He keeps giving us a chance to win a game,” he said McQuown played under coach Kekoa Kaluhiokalani at Waianae then played at Lower Columbia Community College for two years He played his final two collegiate years at Campbell he finished up his degree in sports management at Campbell He returned to the islands with the coaching bug but he has faith in me,” McQuown said is a bit of a barometer for the team’s personality and mood but he’s one of the more talkative players on our team He’s got an eccentric personality,” McQuown said “He is one of the better pitchers in the state He might not have the recognition of the ILH guys but a lot of guys are reaching out to him to play on their summer ball teams A lot of coaches didn’t know about Waianae baseball or who he was.” Waianae’s prowess is fitting for a senior group that grew up playing together for the Razorbackz Raynette Rice has been team mom since Pinto baseball days for Chaseten and younger brother Cayzen my dad is cool and my mom is the enforcer,” Chaseten said Rice faced the defending co-state champion Sabers Rice went the distance against a solid King Kekaulike squad for a three-hit shutout He fanned seven and walked two in Waianae’s 7-0 win “We learned we had to work on some things allowing two runs on two hits with five K’s and one walk He was the winning pitcher in Waianae’s stunning 4-3 victory Waianae played D-I teams Pearl City and Kaiser Rice went four innings against the Chargers allowing one earned run on one hit with four strikeouts and three walks in a no-decision allowing two earned runs on six hits with one strikeout and two walks In five appearances against D-I competition Rice is 2-0 with a 1.84 ERA in 19 innings with 20 strikeouts and eight walks In five appearances against OIA D-II opponents so he’s not real predictable,” longtime Mililani coach Mark Hirayama said “He’s got pretty good command and throws everything for strikes He struck out 11 and walked one before departing at the pitch-count maximum He threw 100-something pitches after throwing 50-something a couple days earlier,” Hirayama said “They’ve got some pretty athletic guys They’re buying in to what Coach Ben is doing You’re not going to get by with one guy It takes everyone going in the same direction to win 13 walks and 25 hits allowed in 45 innings “That’s what my pitching coach (Chad Bailey) always tells me If the Seariders qualify for the Wally Yonamine Foundation/HHSAA Baseball D-II State Championships All three days of the tourney are scheduled at Les Murakami Stadium The D-I state championships will be on Maui Doing it with his childhood friends and teammates means everything Winning the OIA and state crowns would be golden “It’s going to take everything,” Rice said Just keep doing what we’ve been doing.” We do drills in the sand,” Rice said Down time is a chance to go hunting for some Seariders The bond that we have even outside of baseball I’m not the best fisherman,” he said We dunk and the fishes always pull his line Go back two years and Waianae trailed Radford by eight runs in an elimination game with a state berth at stake “We came back and made the state tournament,” Rice recalled “Now we have more seniors than other years I think everybody is used to the pressure and expectations Rice will enroll at Tabor Community College in Kansas “Their coach saw me on FieldLevel and they reached out to me,” he said “He said I have a good chance to start.” Tabor would be the first chapter of his baseball life after high school if all goes according to plan I’m going to be thinking all about baseball when I’m up there but that’s not going to stop me.” The legacy is growing for Rice as a steely competitor and humble baseball brother We practically grew up together,” Seariders teammate Kyson Rosa said “We’ve always hung out together He’s a good friend because when somebody is down He will also go out of his way just to include people like picking them up when they have no ride.” “I’ve watched ‘Snowfall’ three times I just put it on when I’m playing video games Small Axe — “Love Attack” Fiji — “Tequila Sunrise” “He has a 4.0 and everybody on the team he’s always studying and stuff.” Any time I need something for college and scholarships Favorite motto/scripture: “It is what it is.” — Max Holloway I see them at breakfast or running around sometimes.” Hidden talent: “I’m good at video games New life skill: “Making speaker boxes with my dad.” Bucket list: “Playing for a D-I college.” Time machine: When and where would you travel “I would go back to when my granny (Dorothy Cardis) was still here and spend one last day with her That really does catch up to you later on in high school.” “Thank you to my mom and dad for always believing in me and being my No Waianae assistant) Kipi Rosa for teaching me the game and always having my back hard practices that got me to where I am today “Thank you Coach Ben McQuown for pushing us hard to be the best we can be “Thank you to Coach Chad Bailey for being the best pitching coach.” By Peter Boylan Crime in HawaiiEditors' Picks Honolulu Police Department Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan discusses Wednesday’s officer-involved fatal shooting of a Waianae man at a news conference at HPD’s headquarters today The 60-year-old man fatally shot by a Honolulu police officer Wednesday night in Waianae had fired shots into a neighbor’s home after his girlfriend fled there seeking safety following the couple’s heated argument HPD Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan said during a news conference today Suspect Alston “Kaipo” Awong was declared dead at the scene by Emergency Medical Services paramedics Awong had 11 prior state felony convictions including drug and firearm offenses and terroristic threatening The patrol officer who shot and killed Awong has four years of service with HPD Shortly after 6 p.m. Wednesday, officers were sent to a home on Puhinalo Place in Waianae A 911 caller reported an argument in the street followed by reports of an “armed male shooting at and trying to enter a home,” said Logan during a news conference today at HPD’s Alapai Street headquarters When officers arrived they heard “screaming from inside the home.” “They ran to the back of the house and found a male armed with a handgun The male was standing inside a shattered glass door The closest officer repeatedly ordered the male to drop the firearm,” Logan said “But instead of putting the gun down the male racked a round pulled the slide back and let it slide forward At this time the officer fired two rounds at the suspect The male fell to the ground and the officer administered first aid until paramedics arrived,” he said and a 25-year-old man suffered gunshot wounds that were not life-threatening suffered “assault-type injuries” and two other adults and two juveniles were also in the home but not injured Awong lived across the street from the house he shot into He was arguing with his girlfriend before her relative Awong went into his home and came out with an unlicensed homemade rifle “He pointed the rifle at a neighbor and at the relative’s home and tried unsuccessfully to fire the rifle,” Logan said “The suspect then went back into his own home and came out with a handgun which is when he walked across the street and shot approximately four rounds into his girlfriend’s relative’s home.” The Honolulu’s Department of Parks and Recreation announced phased building improvements at Waianae District Park will begin this week Crews will make improvements to the park’s recreation building and Shinyei Nakamine Gymnasium Complex The facilities will be closed during their respective phases.  The project will first focus on the park’s recreation building with the replacement of the facility’s roof Other improvements to the building include bathroom upgrades (such as improved ADA accessibility) City officials expect work on the recreation building to be finished by Fall 2025.  After the upgrades to the recreation building are completed crews will begin working on improvements to the Shinyei Nakamine Gymnasium Complex.  MJ Construction was awarded the $3,464,000 construction contract for the project while WTN Architecture received the $317,592 consultant contract.  Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInWAIANAE (HawaiiNewsNow) - Honolulu police are still investigating after four people were killed and two others injured in a shooting that stemmed from a dispute between neighbors on Saturday night Family members have identified the suspect as 58-year-old Hiram Silva They described Silva as a “family man” and a “loving father.” Loved ones have also confirmed the identity of one of the victims in Saturday’s shooting in Waianae Valley as 34-year-old Courtney Raymond-Arakaki She is described as a loving wife and aunty: “Always happy Witnesses reported that it happened at a family gathering around 11:15 p.m. when the suspect who lives across the street used a front-end loader to ram multiple cars into their home along Waianae Valley Road after a dispute Officials said multiple victims tried to flee when the suspect opened fire a 42-year-old male resident of the home fatally shot the suspect with a handgun HPD found that five people sustained gunshot wounds Two of the women were pronounced dead at the scene The surviving victims are a 35-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman They were were rushed to a hospital after being shot multiple times The 42-year-old male resident who shot the suspect was arrested for second-degree murder He has since been released pending investigation The shooting is the latest in a string of violent crimes along the Waianae Coast that prompted an increased police presence in the area “There have been several incidents in the previous months and weeks This incident happened as a result of neighbors I want to reassure the public that this is not a random act but a targeted one,” HPD Chief Joe Logan said Police discovered that the front loader was carrying four 55-gallon drums containing an unknown fuel Officials said some witnesses reported that they saw the suspect shoot rounds into those drums A Honolulu Fire Department hazmat team is assisting with the removal of the drums Deena Thoemmes said police responded to a previous incident involving a disagreement between the neighbors in 2023 Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in part: “This incident has shaken our community to its core and is a painful reminder of the violence that has impacted Waianae too often in recent weeks and all those who are grieving in the wake of this senseless tragedy.” Firefighters rescued one dog but were unable to save a second from a boat fire at Waianae Boat Harbor Friday night Honolulu Fire Department officials said they responded with nine units and 28 personnel after a 911 caller reported the fire at 10:03 p.m The first unit to arrive at the harbor a few minutes later found fire coming from the rear of a 35-foot boat Bystanders used a hose and a fire extinguisher to knock down the fire before firefighters arrived The firefighters de-energized and ventilated the boat “While completing a search to confirm no passengers were still on the vessel two dogs were found unresponsive,” the release said “HFD personnel performed CPR on one dog and rescue breathing on the other One dog was unable to recover from its injuries while the other was returned safely to their family.” HFD said an investigation is underway to determine the fire’s origin and cause CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM Honolulu Police Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan speaks during a news conference today about the homicide investigation in Waianae Honolulu police homicide investigators responded to a shooting late Saturday night in Waianae that killed four people CINDY ELLEN RUSSELL / CRUSSELL@STARADVERTISER.COM HPD Deena Thoemmes speaks during a news conference today about the homicide investigation in Waianae Honolulu police said four people were fatally shot and two were injured after a “neighbor-on-neighbor dispute” led to gunfire at a family gathering late Saturday night in Waianae Valley According to the Honolulu Police Department 911 callers reported to police that a neighbor was using a front-loader to ram multiple cars into a home on a dead-end street off Waianae Valley Road “Multiple individuals were in the carport and fled or tried to flee when the suspect opened fire striking the victims,” HPD homicide Lt Deena Thoemmes said at a midday news conference today at HPD headquarters and a 31-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman were critically injured and hospitalized A 42-year-old man who lived at the home then shot and killed the 58-year-old male suspect operating the front-loader She said officers arrested the 42-year-old on suspicion of second-degree murder Thoemmes said the investigation revealed that the front-loader was also carrying four 55-gallon drums filled with an “unknown fuel,” and that the driver had fired several rounds into the drums She said the Honolulu Fire Department’s HazMat crew was helping to remove the drums from the location Honolulu Police Chief Arthur “Joe” Logan called the latest incident a “neighbor-on-neighbor dispute” that was unrelated to any of the other recent shootings on Oahu’s west side that have led to an increased law enforcement presence in the area and community outreach to combat gun violence criminals are criminals and from time to time And sometimes they may wait for police to pass by and then commit an act,” he said Thoemmes said the investigation is preliminary and ongoing but that records show that officers were called to the area in 2023 for a dispute between the same neighbors Logan said there were no 911 calls from that area earlier in the day “I don’t think all the guns involved were registered.” Mayor Rick Blangiardi issued a statement this afternoon saying in part “I am deeply saddened and alarmed by the tragic shooting that occurred last night in Waianae has shaken our community to its core and is a painful reminder of the violence that has impacted Waianae too often in recent weeks.” “This marks the fourth high-profile shooting in the area in the past month,” he said “The frequency and severity of these violent incidents demand urgent attention and action The City and County of Honolulu stands ready to support the Honolulu Police Department and social service organizations as we work to understand the causes of this violence and take meaningful steps to prevent it.” A shooting late Saturday night in Waianae killed four people HPD responded to a residence in the area of 85-1300 Waianae Valley Road,” the Honolulu Police Department said in a social media post early this morning In a subsequent social media post at about 9 a.m. HPD confirmed one of the wounded patients died at a hospital while the other two remain hospitalized Honolulu Emergency Medical Services personnel “responded with multiple units to a multiple shooting call just after 11:15 p.m with a total of six patients,” an EMS spokesperson said Paramedics assisted with the death pronouncement of two women and one man at the scene EMS said paramedics also treated three other people with gunshot wounds The wounded included a woman in her 30s or 40s in critical condition; a woman in her 50s in serious condition; and a 31-year-old man in serious condition Police homicide investigators remained at the scene this morning The toll of violent crimes in the area has stressed a health care system that’s already stretched thin Health care providers in Waianae are calling for more resources to expand their services for a community shaken by high rates of gun violence in the last several years Government support and funding has remained stagnant for at least a decade while funding for other programs gutted during the 2008 recession have yet to be fully restored community organizations such as local churches have been doing what they can to fill in the gaps There have been at least nine murders and manslaughters on the Waianae Coast this year, according to Honolulu Police Department crime data In the most recent incident over the Labor Day weekend a man shot five people and killed three before he was shot and killed by a relative of the victims Those recent cases have prompted officials at the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center to ask the state and city for more financial support to expand access to behavioral health services and counseling “Resilience without proper support eventually becomes unsustainable,” Alicia Higa “Communities reach a point where recovery is extremely difficult.” The center recently launched a trauma and resilience program to help residents dealing with the mental toll of violence individual counseling and group support sessions The center is seeking $500,000 from the state and city to help support the program but will continue those services even if the funding doesn’t come through Executive Vice President Nicholas Hughey said The center also needs additional financial assistance for its emergency room Hughey said the state has provided the health center with a $1.4 million subsidy to operate the center’s emergency room between midnight and 8 a.m That subsidy hasn’t increased in the last 15 years even as the cost of operating the emergency room has risen More than half of the health center’s patients are Native Hawaiian and its emergency room is the only one servicing the Westside “To have a facility that vital not receive an increase in their subsidy for 15 years truly speaks to systemic inequalities,” Hughey said a community mental health center right down the hill from the comprehensive health center has also struggled financially It once provided a broad range of services under the state’s Assertive Community Treatment program targeted at individuals dealing with acute mental health conditions Those services were moved to different programs under former Gov Major cuts to treatment programs followed as the state dealt with the financial fallout from the Great Recession “We lost a lot of momentum because we lost a lot of funding,” executive director Poha Sonoda-Burgess said.  Hale Naau Pono has been doing what it can with limited resources It operates group homes that provide mental health services and assists adolescents in the state’s child welfare system providing in-home therapy programs and working with children in foster care Another program is aimed at families at risk of ending up in the child welfare system. Those offices double as a community center for events. Residents often say that there’s not enough conference or gathering space in Waianae “We try to be like that hotel conference room but affordable for the community,” Sonoda-Burgess said Officials at the comprehensive health center also want to target youth in schools The center staffs school psychologists at Waianae and Nanakuli high and middle schools and hopes to expand that program to include behavioral specialists told Civil Beat that mental health issues need to be addressed earlier in life “We’re not addressing some of the behavioral issues that happen early in life that traumatize,” Bertini said “And if you don’t resolve them through professional help they’re going to materialize later in life and that’s going to create problems.” The center is trying to provide culturally based programs through its new Elepaio Social Services branch including hosting land and ocean activities during a two-day event this weekend called “Mauka to Makai” at Kaala Farms in Waianae Valley and at Pokai Bay “Its purpose is to connect us back to our land “A lot of our community members have lost hope We thought there was a silver lining coming out of the pandemic but things have gotten worse.” Faith leaders are also trying to provide outlets for people to process their emotions The Ark of Safety Christian Fellowship has held vigils for victims of gun violence and hosted prayer nights for the community Church leader Jay Amina said his congregation has been worried about the rising cases of violence and gangs in the area.  but Amina said he understands people may not always feel comfortable walking into a traditional church setting That’s why he has employees and other church leaders meet with people needing help at their homes or in the park The church is planning a large community gathering in October Those events have often cost more than $80,000 He hopes that events like that can provide a safe environment for families “When you see those smiles on their faces – for me Civil Beat’s coverage of Native Hawaiian issues and initiatives is supported by a grant from the Abigail Kawananakoa Foundation Some lawmakers want to amend the state law on use of deadly force for self-protection but a key senator says that’s unnecessary Not long after the recent shooting deaths at a party on Oahu’s West Side where a man rammed his tractor into several vehicles at a neighbor’s house and then opened fire Keamo-Carnate was arrested on suspicion of murder in the second degree but later released Honolulu Prosecutor Steve Alm has not commented on the matter While Honolulu Police Department officers would not allow the legislator to enter an active crime scene “I just wanted to make sure everybody was OK,” Kila said Friday But Kila wants to do more than that. He wants to amend state law to reassure his constituents that, in a worst-case scenario like what happened late on a Saturday night on Waianae Valley Road “they can defend their loved ones and don’t have to worry about some form of legal repercussion.” He is among a group of legislators who will likely reintroduce legislation in January that clarifies when a person does not have to retreat before using deadly force in self-defense if they are in their home or on their property It was one of six related measures proposed in the House in the 2024 session Now, with Keamo-Carnate’s lawyer arguing that his client acted legally in self-defense Kila and other supporters of amending Hawaii’s law on self-defense believe there may be momentum “This is happening in our backyard,” said Kila “It doesn’t mean it can’t happen in your backyard tomorrow.” The state law on use of force for self-protection, Hawaii Revised Statutes 703-304 says that force is justifiable when someone believes it “is immediately necessary for the purpose of protecting himself against the use of unlawful force by the other person.” That protection is justified not only against threat of death Use of force is not justified under other circumstances including when someone is resisting arrest by a law enforcement officer or when the person using the force provoked the incident HRS 703-704 also states that deadly force is not justified if it can be avoided “with complete safety by retreating or by surrendering possession of a thing to a person asserting a claim of right thereto.” HPD Chief Joe Logan said last week that Hawaii is not a stand-your-ground state meaning a state where people can defend themselves with lethal force without first trying to escape or retreat from a threatening situation According to the National Conference of State Legislatures in the 1980s there were a handful of state laws that addressed immunity from prosecution in use of deadly force against another person who unlawfully and forcibly entered a person’s residence In 2005, Florida passed a stand-your-ground law based on what’s known as the “castle doctrine.” The Florida law, according to the NCSL, states that someone who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who is attacked “in any other place where he or she has a right to be” does not have to retreat and is permitted to “meet force with force if he or she reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the commission of a forcible felony.” at least 28 states have laws that say there is no duty to retreat “in any place in which one is lawfully present.” At least 10 of those states include stand-your-ground language Eight states, including California, Oregon and Washington, permit the use of deadly force in self-defense “through judicial decisions or jury instructions,” the NCSL says But Hawaii is one of 21 states, along with California, Oregon and Washington, that have stopped short of stand-your-ground statutes, which Everytown for Gun Safety calls “shoot first” laws that allow people to shoot and kill in public “even if they can safely walk away from the situation.” Some research raises doubts about the efficacy and equity of stand-your-ground a nonprofit founded by Michael Bloomberg in 2013 that advocates for gun control says shoot-first laws “dramatically escalate violence leading to 150 additional gun deaths each month nationwide.” The laws also “drastically reduce consequences with homicides in which white shooters kill Black victims deemed justifiable five times more frequently than when the situation is reversed,” the organization says A 2021 study from the National Institutes of Health reached similar conclusions “In some U.S. states, most notably Florida, stand-your-ground laws may have harmed public health and safety and exacerbated social inequities,” the report states The six bills proposed last session by more than a dozen lawmakers vary in scope but share the goal of empowering citizens in threatening situations Among the proposals was House Bill 86 which would have clarified that someone who uses deadly force in self-defense does not have a duty to retreat if they are in their dwelling or on their property “The Legislature finds that the people of Hawaii have a fundamental right to be safe in their homes,” the bill read. “However the recent rise in violent crimes is threatening the public’s sense of security.” The bill cites HPD’s 2021 annual report that found Oahu had seen a rise in violent and property-related crimes including murder Introduced by Kila and fellow Democratic Reps the bill states that it is “imperative that residents be allowed to defend themselves when in their home but that the use of deadly force is less justified when the person using force is at the person’s place at work.” which encompasses Oahu’s North Shore and parts of the Windward Side the genesis of the bill was really that I represent a very rural district,” he said and even with more staffing the response times are always going to be slower in rural areas.” Quinlan said he was inspired to push HB 86 in part because he said there was an attempted break-in at his mother’s house The would-be intruder was scared off by a barking dog but Quinlan said he left behind a “robbery toolkit” in the yard — “screwdrivers and pliers and hammers and things like that.” “So that was obviously a really scary moment for my family,” he said “And I looked into it and realized that we have this duty-to-retreat clause in Hawaii if the robber had tried to enter and my parents had defended themselves.” Quinlan does not favor calling his legislation a stand-your-ground bill because of the negative connotations associated with the killing of Trayvon Martin in Florida in 2012 He said self-defense is not a gun issue so much as it is a fundamental right Two of the self-protection bills came from the minority caucus in the House and for similar reasons expressed by Democrats “If a stand-your-ground law was passed and established here hopefully this would basically give common-sense protections to law-abiding citizens when they use their firearms as the Second Amendment (intended) — protection of themselves and their families,” said Republican Rep “If somebody is encroaching on your property — like for instance in Waianae where that suspect was ramming vehicles and people with his heavy equipment machine and then shooting them — I mean the homeowner used a registered firearm the exact way that it was intended for,” Garcia said None of the six bills received a hearing in the only committee to which they were referred the House Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs Committee Chair David Tarnas was traveling out of country and did not respond to media inquiries last week Tarnas’s counterpart on the Senate side where the bills would eventually end up if passed in the House does not think HRS 703-304 needs to be amended you can kill somebody — and legally — if your life is threatened,” he said “And I believe when you’re in your own house you have no duty to retreat.” Rhoads said the statute does include circumstances “where if you’re sure you can get away without getting injured you’re not under that obligation.” Rhoads said it’s also legal to shoot somebody on the street if someone believes their life or that of another person is in danger of serious bodily harm “So I think the short answer is I don’t think it needs to be changed,” he said “You can already kill somebody if you’re threatened.” said he respects the authority and expertise of the House and Senate judiciary chairs “They are the subject matter experts,” he said because I can point to probably several hundred people in everybody’s district that would support a measure like this I don’t want to make it a red or blue issue but obviously this is sometimes an issue.” The Waianae shootings and the renewed calls for self-defense legislation come as Hawaii has experienced major changes in its gun laws Supreme Court found that people have a constitutional right to carry weapons in public On Friday, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Hawaii can enforce a law banning firearms on beaches and in parks the issue of defending the home is not likely to go away Chad Blair is the politics editor for Civil Beat. You can reach him by email at cblair@civilbeat.org or follow him on X at @chadblairCB Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInHONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - Health officials on the Waianae Coast are asking the city and state for more funding to help a community reeling from rising violence The Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center (WCCHC) addressed the public health impacts of the recent gun violence in Waianae, including a deadly Labor Day rampage “Imagine what it’s like working in our ER,” said WCCHC President and CEO Richard Bettini As the area’s only source of emergency care staff have been on the frontlines of recent violence and its fallout They say the latest mass shooting that killed four signals an immediate crisis that requires a crisis-level response “When our community is repeatedly expected to be resilient without sufficient resources to recover it takes a significant toll,” said WCCHC Chief Health Equity Officer Alicia Higa “Our community is experiencing an emotional mental and physical exhaustion that for some has led to a sense of hopelessness,” Higa said Leaders of the health center discussed how the violence is impacting mental health and community wellbeing trust in the institutions and systems designed to help begins to erode and this results in frustration and a breakdown of community,” Higa said Stephen Bradley said there is “a chronic lack of public health infrastructure promotes a lack of hope for a better future and lack of trust that the status quo can make things better “We’ve tried to fill the gap as a community health center but we need more concerted and collaborative effort from city and state entities to be able to do that,” Bradley said WCCHC leaders outlined a “roadmap” of solutions urging the city and state to invest in a better public health response They’re asking for at least $500,000 to launch a trauma and resilience training program and resources to expand mental health services “We need to increase access to trauma-informed care and focus on destigmatizing mental health care,” said WCCHC Executive Vice President Nicholas Hughey Officials believe there needs to be more equity in the distribution of government resources — 60% of patients are Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islanders and 71% have an income at or below the federal poverty level ”Our emergency room is grossly underfunded and has been for years Officials are asking for a larger state subsidy to support its overnight operations They said they’ve been receiving $1.4 million annually for 15 years whereas aid to other emergency centers have increased over the years WCCHC estimates an annual $4.5 million shortfall due to rising costs “You can send an email and you can say this is happening but unless you actually see it and feel it and talk to our staff you’re not going to realize the the nature of this public health emergency,” Bettini said Other asks from the state: allow behavioral health providers to continue telehealth services partner with the Department of Education to boost intervention in schools and add security personnel to ensure staff safety