Ernest Gilbert Romero hobbled into a courtroom Tuesday for his initial appearance on charges of murder involving the death of his Makiki neighbor.

Romero, 74, is accused of fatally shooting 71-year-old Gloria Takaoka, a widow known for helping community residents.

He was charged Monday with second-degree murder and first-degree attempted murder. A District Court judge confirmed bail at $1 million and set a preliminary hearing for Dec. 19.

On Saturday afternoon, police officers responded to a report of multiple shots fired outside an apartment at 1099 Green St. They found Takaoka with multiple gunshot wounds. She was taken to a hospital, where she died.

A witness told police that his neighbor was on the ground with her right arm holding herself up when Romero shot her two more times with a black handgun before she went limp. Romero then drove off, the witness said.

Another neighbor, 79-year-old Robert Barros, said Romero also shot at him twice after shooting Takaoka, but missed. Romero, known to be argumentative among neighbors, turned himself in to police that afternoon.

“I just shot someone,” Romero told an officer at the main police station, according to authorities. “You guys come over here all the time, they are poisoning me.”

After being arrested, he said under his breath: “I just couldn’t take it anymore, they poison me every day,” according to a police report.