Waianae council member warns against rumors after mass shooting

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) – The police investigation into the Waianae mass murder is only 10 days old, and the county council member is concerned about the rumors and speculation circulating that could make it difficult for the community to move forward.

Like the Lahaina wildfires, the Waianae tragedy has reignited debate about government neglect of the region. But District 8 Councilmember Andria Tupola said it’s far too early to jump to conclusions about what happened or what should happen next.

“I absolutely think it’s premature,” she said. “I mean, just the fact that a lot of the speculation and discussion in the community was wrong, I think you have to sort out all of those errors, and even all of the factual parts aren’t complete yet.”

Like what actually led to Hiram Silva’s deadly and destructive rampage last Saturday, which was directed against his neighbors after they came onto his property to break up a wild party.

Public records include $500,000 in fines for property use and an illegally constructed party dome. There was also a previous threat against his neighbors in 2021 when he possibly suspected the Keamos had spoken to Hawaii News Now about an illegal and chaotic concert.

During that incident, the family filmed a video of Silva shining a spotlight on their property while yelling obscenities, insults and threats. During that tirade, Silva also claimed that doctors had told him he only had three years to live.

Police decided not to arrest Silva that night, and when they asked the family to identify him five months later, they were no longer willing to prosecute.

Tupola said she was aware of the situation and had expressed her condolences to both families. She also said the dispute between the two family settlements went back years and there had been periods of both tension and ceasefire.

“I think the intensity of the relationship has been stressful for both sides,” she said, adding that she was not prepared to blame government inaction.

“None of our comments in this or any other interview are going to bring anyone’s life back. And that’s why I’m very sad that it’s come to this. I think we have to be better in the future. We have to do better,” she said.

But in the larger context of a time of violence in West Oahu, she believes the county needs more police in the area and was dismayed by HPD Chief Joe Logan’s comment after the shooting that officers in the area had the resources they needed.

“I think the commander has the resources he needs,” Logan said when asked if there are enough officers assigned to the area to maintain community policing. “Any commander could ask for more resources, and we’re working on that.”

When told about the comments, Tupola’s jaw dropped.

“He said that?” she asked. “I think if that statement was made for the entire 8th District, that can’t be true. So in the 8th District, we don’t have enough support for the type of population that we have.”

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