Kaua‘i residents are being urged to stay alert as police search for William "Billy" Sinclair, 51, in connection with a deadly overnight stretch that started with a suspicious death in Hanalei and continued with early-morning gunfire near Kīlauea that left a resident grazed by a bullet. The Kaua‘i Police Department says Sinclair is considered armed and dangerous, and an hours-long search across the north shore ended without finding him. At one point, officers shut down Kīlauea Road and evacuated nearby homes while they combed the area.
In a post on the Kauaʻi Police Department, officials said officers first responded to a report of a suspicious death in Hanalei at about 12:50 a.m. A few hours later, around 4:45 a.m., they were called to reports of gunshots in the Kīlauea area. Sinclair was identified as a person of interest in both investigations, and police are warning the public not to approach him if he is spotted.
What officers found
Hawaii News Now reported that investigators determined the Hanalei death was a homicide and that officers later responded to gunfire in the Kīlauea area. According to the outlet, one resident was grazed by a bullet and treated for non-life-threatening injuries, and photos and video from the scene showed heavily armed units in Kīlauea town during the search. KPD said Sinclair was not found at the residence officers checked.
"I don't think he's talked to them at all," a housesitter told Hawaii News Now, describing how officers used tear gas and flashbangs while trying to make contact. The report noted a heavy police presence across Kīlauea as crews methodically cleared the area and reopened roads by evening.
How to report tips
Anyone with information is asked to call KPD Dispatch at (808) 241-1711 or Detective Caspillo at (808) 241-1680. To remain anonymous, tipsters can contact Crime Stoppers Kaua‘i at (808) 246-8300 or submit a tip online, according to the County of Kauaʻi. Authorities say the investigation is active and no additional details have been released.
