Bail maintained for man accused of attempted murder following shooting in Puna
Court documents reveal that the suspect was in a "heated argument" with the victim before shots were fired.
8 hours ago
A man from Mountain View facing a second-degree attempted murder charge appeared in Hilo District Court for an initial appearance on Thursday, where a judge maintained his $1.753 bail and ordered him to appear for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 10.
Along with the attempted murder charge, Kawika Ah Nee, 35, was also charged with carrying or use of a firearm in the commission of a separate felony and place to keep ammunition. The charges stem from a shooting that occurred in the early morning hours of Aug. 4. At 1:37 a.m., Puna patrol officers responded to a report of a 53-year-old man who had been shot multiple times in front of a residence in the 18-1200 block of Waikiki Street in the Livingston subdivision in Mountain View.
According to a probable cause statement filed with the courts, on the day of the shooting, a witness told police she saw a black pickup truck stop in front of the residence where a heated argument occurred between the victim and the driver, later identified as Ah Nee.
The witness “observed the defendant extend his arm from the driver’s window holding what appeared to be a silver revolver.” At that point, the court document states the witness fled to the back of the property.
The witness told police she heard approximately five to six shots before the truck drove off, headed south on Waikiki Street. When she came back to the driveway, she found the victim on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds.
A second witness corroborated the events reported, according to the probable cause statement.
The victim, who was transported to Hilo Benioff Medical Center, identified Ah Nee as the shooter through a photographic lineup.
While being treated, court documents indicate that physicians confirmed the 53-year-old suffered multiple gunshot wounds. They also noted serious bodily injury and a substantial risk of death without further treatment and that the injuries would result in serious permanent disfigurement.
The victim was ultimately flown to O‘ahu for further treatment.
Through the course of their investigation, officers found the truck identified at the scene of the shooting at Ah Nee’s home on Kaua‘i Street in Mountain View. According to court documents, the 35-year-old waived his constitutional rights and provided a statement, claiming he did drive out to Waikiki Street after getting a surveillance camera alert at his father-in-law’s house, which is located across the street from where the shooting occurred.
“While on Waikiki Street, he (Ah Nee) heard gunshots and returned home without driving to the scene,” the probable cause statement reads. “He further stated surveillance video on his cellular phone would confirm this.”
Search warrants were executed on Ah Nee’s home, two cellphones and pickup truck. However, according to court documents, there was no surveillance video to corroborate his statement.
Also, a search of the vehicle led to the discovery of multiple rounds of ammunition of various calibers, including 4 Special, 22 LR, and 5.56 ammunition, as well as a magazine containing four
5.56 rounds, according to court documents.
The second-degree attempted murder charge carries a penalty of life in prison with the possibility of parole. Use of a Firearm in the Commission of a Separate Felony is a class A felony and carries a penalty of a 20-year prison term.
