Police are investigating an early morning shooting today in the upper Kaumana Drive area of Hilo.
Shortly after midnight, police received a 911 call from a 23-year-old Keaau man who was a passenger in a late-model black Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. He reported that their vehicle was being shot at by occupants of a late-model white 4-door sedan as they were driving eastbound on Kaumana Drive.
The truck was driven by a 38-year-old Keaau man and also occupied by another passenger, a 59-year-old Keaau man.
Responding officers saw a white 4-door sedan traveling east on the Puainako Avenue extension and attempted, unsuccessfully, to stop it, resulting in pursuit.
The car was last seen traveling at a high rate of speed southbound on Volcano Highway (Route 11).
As a result of the hazardous conditions, officers terminated the pursuit and police initiated a resisting an order to stop case as a result.
Police conducted neighborhood checks at the homes along upper Kaumana Drive and discovered that a house in the Gentry Homes subdivision had been struck by what appears to be an errant bullet. Although several occupants were in the house, no one was injured. That incident is being classified as a first-degree reckless endangering case.
Hilo Criminal Investigation Section detectives from and evidence specialists responded to the house and recovered a bullet.
The truck sustained damages from the gunshots and was eventually disabled. Detectives have recovered the truck for evidence processing. None of the truck’s occupants sustained any injuries in this incident, which is being classified as a first-degree attempted murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder.
An all-points bulletin has been issued for a white 1995 Toyota Avalon sedan with license plate HWM 818. The car and its occupants are being sought for questioning in connection with this series of investigations.
Police caution the public not to approach the vehicle but, instead, to call police to report its location.
Police received a number of calls reporting gunfire or what may have been thought to be fireworks in the upper Kaumana Drive area and are seeking any witnesses to these events. Anyone with information is asked to contact either Detective Dean Uyetake at 961-2379 or dean.uyetake@hawaiicounty.gov or Detective Sandor Finkey at 961-2384 or sandor.finkey@hawaiicounty.gov.
Those who prefer anonymity may call Crime Stoppers at 961-8300 and may be eligible for a reward of up to $1,000.
For more information, see Wednesday’s edition of the Tribune-Herald or the Tribune-Herald website.
