Puna man in serious condition after shooting

A 63-year-old Puna man remained hospitalized in serious condition Thursday following a Wednesday afternoon shooting in Hawaiian Acres subdivision.

Acting Lt. Wendall Carter said Puna patrol officers responded at about 3 p.m. Wednesday to a report of a gunshot victim at an Uau Road home. Arriving officers and Fire Department paramedics found the man in the driveway of the residence, having sustained gunshot wounds to his chest and head.

“He was found by the family, who went up to the house at that time. They were in town, I think, and went back out to the house and found him like that,” Carter said.

The man was taken by ambulance to Hilo Medical Center and later transported to The Queen’s Medical Center in Honolulu by air ambulance.

No arrests had been made as of Thursday. Asked about possible suspects in the case, Carter replied, “None at this point.”

An attempted second-degree murder investigation had been opened, according to a police log.

Carter said the shooting “doesn’t appear like” a possible suicide attempt, and added, “but we’re still looking into it.”

“We’re still working on some interviews and doing some additional investigating at the residence,” Carter said. “(Criminal Investigations Section) is executing a search warrant on the property, gathering more evidence and processing it.”

Detectives and evidence technicians were using land surveying equipment to take measurements at the home’s driveway Thursday morning.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the police non-emergency line at 935-3311 or Crime Stoppers at 961-8300.

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.