Three people called Honolulu police and said they heard six or seven gunshots in Kaimuki where a woman was shot and killed at the start of a 17-minute shooting spree early June 3, according to 911 police tapes released Friday.

Another caller minutes later reported hearing nine shots in Kapalama, where two drivers were wounded on H-1 freeway.

The calls were captured on four tapes turned over to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser as a result of its lawsuit for the release of 911 calls and police dispatch tapes of what police have described as a random shooting rampage that ended on the H-1 freeway in Aiea.

Toby Stangel has been charged as the shooter and is being held in lieu of $5 million bail while awaiting trial on charges of murder, attempted murder and related counts.

He is accused of walking to a van idling at a red light at Kapahulu Avenue and Kapiolani Boulevard and opening fire, killing Tammy Nguyen, but not hitting her 16-year-old daughter.

He is also charged with wounding two others and shooting at two police officers in Aiea before he was caught and arrested.

The 911 tapes released Friday included one man’s call shortly before 12:43 a.m.

"I just heard some shots fired over at Kapahulu and Kapiolani," a male caller said. "I heard about maybe six or seven shots. Maybe more."

The caller said he saw "a guy" standing next to a car and heard the shots.

"Whoever was in the car, the car just drifted off the side," the caller said.

The caller said he could not describe the man or the man’s clothing because the incident happened quickly.

A woman called seconds later, saying she lived across from Kaimuki High School and heard about seven gunshots.

At 12:45 a.m., another caller said he was not sure, but he heard what he thought were seven gunshots. "It didn’t sound like fireworks," he said. It sounded "like a semiautomatic because it was rapid fire."

At 12:51 a.m., a woman called to report gunshots in Kapalama. She said she heard three sets: two shots, then four, then three.

To her, the shots sounded like they came from two different guns because the first set was softer and the second set was "loud," she said.

Police initially declined to release the 911 calls and police dispatch tapes, saying they were part of an "ongoing investigation."

After the newspaper filed its lawsuit under the state open records law, city attorneys agreed to release five 911 calls. They gave the newspaper four tapes Friday and were preparing to release the fifth.

But city lawyers refused to make public four other 911 calls, including one from Nguyen’s daughter and two others from the wounded victims. The fourth was an anonymous call by a man who described the shooting suspect’s car, according to city lawyers.

Circuit Judge Edwin Nacino ordered the city last week to provide the newspaper with the calls that the city had agreed to release.

But the judge refused to order the city to produce the other calls, saying they fell under privacy exemptions under the open records law.

He also indicated that whether the anonymous call should be released is a matter for a trial to determine whether it fell under another exemption that the release would be a "frustration" of a "legitimate government purpose."

City attorneys said it is anticipated the caller will testify at Stangel’s trial and that the release of the call might subject the caller to harassment, which might deter him from cooperating with prosecutors.

The newspaper sought the 911 calls and dispatch tapes to help the public understand the way police handled the shooting spree.

The Star-Advertiser is still seeking the release of the dispatch tapes.

Stangel’s trial is scheduled for the week of Dec. 5 before Circuit Judge Glenn Kim.

On Wednesday, Kim turned down a request by Stangel’s lawyer to seal documents in the case, including 911 tapes. Star-Advertiser attorneys opposed the defense request.

Hawaii News Now video: HPD releases some 911 tapes from shooting spree