Sunday night in Kakaʻako turned into something out of a crime drama when a 23-year-old man showed up at a nearby hospital with what looked like a gunshot wound, sending Honolulu police scrambling to figure out what went down.
Officers had already been called to the Ward Village area after reports of multiple gunshots near Ilaniwai Street and Ward Avenue during what witnesses described as a large disturbance in the neighborhood. By the time police got there, the shooter was gone.
Witnesses told officers the suspect took off on a yellow motorcycle, a detail that is now central to the manhunt. The Honolulu Police Department said the suspect was described as an African American man wearing a light blue shirt and blue jeans, last seen speeding away from the scene on that yellow bike, according to KITV.
Investigators are treating the case as attempted murder, and the investigation remains active.
Scene And Context
The shooting is the latest public-safety scare for Kakaʻako, a neighborhood that has already had a tense year.
In January, an explosion damaged a Kakaʻako building, with surveillance video placing a suspect near Ilaniwai Street, Hawaii News Now reported. That incident helped fuel ongoing concerns about crime and safety in the area.
Those worries have been spilling into official meetings too. Community concerns about encampments and street-level safety have come up at neighborhood board meetings, according to minutes from the Ala Moana–Kakaʻako.
Police Call For Tips
Honolulu police are now asking the public to help fill in the blanks.
Anyone with information is urged to call 911 or Crime Stoppers at 808-955-8300. Crime Stoppers of Honolulu accepts anonymous tips online or by phone and offers rewards for information that leads to an arrest.
Officers are reminding residents not to approach any suspects themselves. Instead, they want witnesses to share what they saw, including any video that might help detectives track the suspect or the yellow motorcycle.
What Investigators Are Looking For
So far, no one is in custody. Detectives are canvassing the neighborhood and reviewing any available video as they try to piece together how the disturbance escalated into gunfire, according to KITV.
Investigators are especially interested in any footage that shows a yellow motorcycle or its rider around the time of the shooting near Ilaniwai Street and Ward Avenue. Anyone who captured video or has tips is asked to call 911 or contact Crime Stoppers at 808-955-8300 so police can follow up.
