Police said the shooting followed an attempted robbery during a late-night dice game in an open garage.
MILILANI, HI — A 19-year-old man was fatally shot late June 4 during an apparent robbery at a Mililani home, and two 21-year-old men were later arrested as Honolulu police investigated the case.
The shooting, reported around 11:45 p.m. on Kauopua Street, began as police described a robbery attempt at a residence where a group had gathered in an open garage for a social dice gambling event. Honolulu police first said suspects fled after the shooting. By June 5, investigators had identified two men they said were tied to the case, with one arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder and another on suspicion of first-degree robbery.
Police said two men, ages 19 and 21, approached the group in the garage late Thursday night. The 19-year-old had a firearm and demanded money and property, police said, while the second man also demanded property. During a struggle over the firearm, the 19-year-old was shot and killed. Police have not released his name, the names of the arrested men or a full account of who fired the fatal shot. Nearby resident Raynne Passi said the noise brought her outside. “I came outside to check and I seen some boys run up the road,” Passi said, describing people moving through the street after the commotion.
The first public police notice said the person killed was a male in his late teens to early 20s and that the shooting happened during an apparent robbery at a Mililani residence. Police said the suspects fled in a light-colored pickup truck, possibly a Toyota Tacoma. They described the suspects at that stage as two males wearing white shirts and one male wearing a dark-colored hoodie. The case was assigned to the Honolulu Police Department’s Homicide Detail. Police later said the account changed as detectives gathered more information and made arrests tied to the attempted robbery and the shooting that followed.
Investigators identified one suspect as a 21-year-old man. Police said he turned himself in at the Kapolei Police Station with help from District 2 and District 8 Crime Reduction Units and was arrested just after noon June 5 on suspicion of second-degree murder. Police then identified a second 21-year-old man they said took part in the robbery attempt. The District 8 Crime Reduction Unit arrested him just after 6 p.m. in Wai‘anae on suspicion of first-degree robbery. Police said charges would be sought through the prosecuting attorney, meaning prosecutors will review the evidence before deciding what counts, if any, to file.
The shooting stunned residents along Kauopua Street, a residential area where neighbors said the sound of gunfire and people rushing away cut through the late-night quiet. Some neighbors told Hawaii News Now they heard bangs, then people running or getting into vehicles before police and paramedics arrived. The family at the home declined to comment publicly, saying they needed time to process what had happened. Several neighbors said the house had drawn past complaints about noise and large parties since the current residents moved in about five years ago, though police have not said whether earlier complaints are connected to the shooting.
Police have released only limited details about the evidence collected at the scene, the firearm involved and the exact sequence of the struggle. The department has not said whether surveillance video, shell casings, witness statements or other physical evidence helped identify the arrested men. The medical examiner had not publicly released the dead man’s identity by the time of the latest updates. Police also had not said whether anyone else was injured. The case remains a murder investigation, but the known facts point to a robbery attempt that turned deadly during a confrontation inside or near the open garage.
As of June 6, two men were in custody and the case was awaiting review for possible charges by prosecutors. The next major step is a charging decision, which will determine whether the suspects remain held and what criminal counts they may face.
Author note: Last updated June 6, 2026.