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A 69-year-old man facing eviction is accused of fatally shooting two Honolulu police officers who were responding to the scene of a stabbing. The suspect then apparently set a raging fire that destroyed at least seven homes and damaged others in an affluent community on the slopes of Diamond Head.
In a news conference Sunday afternoon, a visibly shaken Police Chief Ballard identified those killed as: Officers Tiffany Enriquez, a seven-year veteran of the force; and Kaulike Kalama, a nine-year veteran of the force. As Ballard spoke to reporters, her voice shook with emotion as she fought back tears. “On behalf of the men and women of the Honolulu Police Department, we extend our deepest condolences,” she said. “I knew each one of them very personally.”
The rampage rocked a state unaccustomed to violence and left many in disbelief. “This is a family and people are grieving,” Mayor Kirk Caldwell told reporters.
Ballard identified the suspect as Jerry Hanel, and authorities believe he died when the home he was in went up in flames. His remains have not yet been located, but Ballard said processing the scene could take days.
Court documents show Hanel has a history of erratic behavior and making false 911 reports. His attorney said he had delusions that he was being tracked by the FBI. Ballard said he had no permits to own firearms. Meanwhile, two people ― both women ― remain unaccounted for in the wake of the day’s events. Their identities have not been released.
The video above shows the suspect, Jerry Hanel from a police body cam in May of 2019 and the second part of the video shows the fire Hanel set yesterday.