West Oahu residents rally for safety following string of gun violence

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Honolulu police have opened a fourth attempted murder investigation just this week.

HPD said at around 11:30 p.m. on Thursday night on McArthur Street in Waianae, the suspect fired two shots from a vehicle toward a 23-year-old woman.

Police said the suspect then accelerated the vehicle and pinned the victim against a wall before taking off.

Officers are searching for a 25-year-old woman and a 45-year-old man.

This is just the latest in a string of violence on Oahu’s west coast and has prompted the community to rally for safety.

KHON2 News is at the rally to hear what the community has to say.

Waianae and Castle football teams were set to kick off on Friday evening but multiple threats and lockdowns forced school officials to cancel the game. 

Instead of a football rally, the leeward community is holding a stop-the-violence rally at Waianae Mall after a devastating year of shootings and deaths in the community.

The rally consists of state representatives and senators and community leaders who came together to address the gun violence on the Waianae coast.

On Sept. 23, a 29-year-old and 19-year-old were shot and killed at Waianae Boat Harbor. An 18-year-old has been charged in that case.

In August, a 20-year-old man was charged for allegedly shooting a 49-year-old man in the head in Maili.

And in June, 17-year-old Richianna DeGuzman was shot in the head while hanging out with friends in Maili.

The month before, another 17-year-old was shot and killed at Makaha Beach Park and in April a 16-year-old was charged in the shooting death of two people at a chicken fight in Maili.

Just in 2023, so many young people whose lives are forever changed because of gun violence. 

“This is my community this is where my kids gotta grow up, where my grandkids gotta grow up. my friend’s kids gotta grow up and I’m just tired about all this nonsense going on you know,” said Michael Talalolu of Westside Striking. “I don’t wanna get phone calls at like 12 at night and like I said before there’s no good phone calls coming at that time I just fed up with all this nonsense going on.”

The rally is seeing a good turnout of numerous people concerned for their safety, and their kids’ safety, and want kids to put the guns down.