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Man ends Puna hostage situation by shooting himself in face

An hours-long hostage situation ended today with the arrest of a 33-year-old man in the Leilani Estates subdivision in Pahoa.

Police said the situation ended just after 2 p.m. with the surrender of Jovin Chang, who shot himself in the face with a rifle when he emerged. He was taken to Hilo Medical Center.

At about 5:40 a.m. patrol officers responded to a call of a shooting on Nohea Street, where a 25-year-old man sustained several gunshot wounds to his body. Police said he was transported to Hilo Medical Center in stable condition.

The suspect fled the scene and ended up at a home about 10 blocks away on Leilani Avenue, said Alan Richmond, spokesman for the Hawaii Police Department. He barricaded himself inside with five female hostages, ages 9, 11, 14, 16 and 30, police said.

None was harmed.

Officers closed Leilani Avenue in Leilani Estates between Hapuu and Highway 130 sometime before 9:10 a.m. and it remained closed for the investigation.

A resident, who requested her name not be used, said she heard about 15 to 20 gunshots between 5:30 a.m. and 12:10 p.m. She said the gunshots were sporadic.

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