Big Island police investigating after man apparently shoots, kills self with rifle at Kona storage facility

A man who was living in a rented storage unit apparently shot and killed himself Wednesday afternoon at a Kailua-Kona storage rental facility.

The man’s identity is being withheld pending positive identification and notification of next of kin. Hawai‘i Police Department detectives have launched a coroner’s inquest investigation into the incident.

Shortly after 1:45 p.m. Wednesday, Kona patrol officers responded to a storage rental property in the 73-5500 block of Maiau Street in Kailua-Kona for a request to remove a male from the facility. In the course of their investigation, police learned that the man was living in one of the facility’s units and had been evicted from the property.

Shortly after contacting the man, officers observed him go into the storage unit and then heard a loud noise consistent with a gunshot.

Police secured the area and waited for additional units to arrive. After getting no further response, officers checked the storage unit and observed the man alone with a traumatic head injury, consistent with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and a rifle next to his body.

Detectives with the Area II Criminal Investigation Section are continuing the investigation.