Pāhoa Structure Fire Classified as Attempted Murder

Hawaiʻi Island police are investigating a shooting incident and structure fire that occurred at a Puna residence Tuesday evening.

Police and fire department personnel responded to a report of a house fire on Rainbow Drive in the Ainaloa Subdivision at 7:03 p.m. on Oct. 24.

The resident, a 35-year-old man, told police that when he returned home, an unidentified intruder inside the house shot at him before the suspect fled on foot.

Shortly after, the victim heard an explosion on the outside of the house that set the structure on fire. When firefighters arrived on scene, the residence was already half involved in flames.

Fire department personnel extinguished the flames at 10:20 p.m. and determined that there were no casualties inside. No one was home at the time of the incident and Red Cross volunteers were at the scene to provide assistance. The male victim was not injured.

The cause of the fire and events leading up to this incident remain under investigation. Damage estimates to the house and its contents are estimated at $225,000.

Traffic was re-routed to Ainaloa Blvd while firefighters extinguished the blaze.

Detectives from the Area I Criminal Investigation Section are continuing the investigation that has been classified as an attempted murder.

Anyone who may have witnessed the incident or have any other information about it is asked to call the Police Department’s non-emergency line at (808) 935-3311 or Detective Tuckloy Aurello of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section at (808) 961-2385 or Tuckloy.Aurello@hawaiicounty.gov.