Only in Hawaii would prosecutors arrest an armed homeowner who stopped a violent neighbor who had just rammed several cars with a front-end loader, shot and killed three women, wounded two others, and posed an immediate threat to shoot more. Yet, that’s exactly what law enforcement officials did before ultimately deciding not to pursue charges, citing “issues related to self-defense and defense of others.” Even anti-gun officials, as much as they might have wanted to prosecute the man, had to acknowledge this was a clear case of justifiable self-defense.
The incident occurred on Aug. 31 in Waianae, about 30 miles west of Honolulu. Rishard Keamo-Carnate, 42, shot and killed his neighbor with his registered firearm, Hiram Silva, 59, who had driven a front-end loader into Keamo-Carnate’s home and opened fire with his unregistered firearm (according to KHON 2 reports) on a family gathering. Silva killed three women—Cherell Keamo, 36, Courtney Raymond-Arakaki, 34, and Jessyca Amasiu, 29—and wounded a 31-year-old man and a 52-year-old woman before Keamo-Carnate acted to stop the rampage.
Keamo-Carnate was arrested on suspicion of second-degree murder following the shooting, but prosecutors later declined to charge him. The Honolulu Police Department confirmed that charges were dropped due to “issues related to self-defense and defense of others.”
“This case clearly shows my client was within his rights to defend himself and others,” said Keamo-Carnate’s attorney, Michael Green. “Thank God they did the right thing.”
The deadly confrontation stemmed from a long-running neighborhood dispute. Silva, who rented out space for parties on his property, had been a source of frustration for neighbors. On the night of the shooting, partygoers reportedly sped through the area, prompting complaints from Keamo-Carnate’s gathering about the safety of children present. Silva retaliated by ramming his front-end loader into parked cars and opening fire on the group.
In a bizarre twist, police later discovered that Silva’s front-end loader was carrying four 55-gallon drums of fuel, which he also fired upon during his rampage. The Honolulu Fire Department’s Hazmat Team was called to remove the dangerous materials from the scene.
Community members expressed outrage over Keamo-Carnate’s initial arrest.
“He sees people shot down at his home, and he winds up in a lockup,” Green said, emphasizing the absurdity of the situation. Keamo-Carnate was released about 20 hours after his arrest, pending further investigation.
The shooting, one of Hawaii’s deadliest in recent memory, has left the Waianae community shaken. Local lawmakers are now discussing the possibility of strengthening the state’s self-defense laws in response to the incident. Democratic state representative Darius Kila (that’s right, a Democrat!), whose district is near the scene, is among those pushing for changes. Kila has expressed interest in making Hawaii’s laws more clear-cut by shifting toward a “stand your ground” framework, rather than the current “duty to retreat” standard. He believes residents should be assured that they can defend themselves and their loved ones without fear of legal repercussions, especially in situations as dire as the one that unfolded in Waianae.
As violent crime continues to rise in the area, Honolulu police have pledged to send additional reserve officers to patrol West Oahu and are working with community leaders to develop safety strategies.
For now, Keamo-Carnate is free, with his attorney stating, “Justice was served in this case.”
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