More than 15 years after Honolulu police officer Kaulike Kalama graduated from McKinley High School, fellow classmates still think of him like he was part of their ohana, and on Monday they shared their memories as they grieved for him.
“I know everyone remembers him like a beloved brother, a brother to all of us,” said 2003 classmate Jennifer Lynn “Jenn” Rodriguez. “His smile and laugh was contagious.”
Kalama, a nine-year veteran of the Honolulu Police Department assigned to District 7 (East Honolulu), and police officer Tiffany Enriquez, a seven-year veteran assigned to District 6 (Waikiki), were fatally shot Sunday morning by suspected gunman Jerry Hanel, 69, on Hibiscus Drive in the Diamond Head area, police said.
Officers attended to an injured woman and walked down a driveway at 3015 Hibiscus Drive when Hanel fired shots. Enriquez was killed immediately, and Kalama, described to be in his early 30s, was shot after more officers arrived, said Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard.
Friends say Kalama leaves behind a wife and son. Rodriguez said, “My heart hurts for them.”
Kalama was on the All Star Football team and won the state mixed championship for paddling, according to a McKinley High School Foundation newsletter.
He received the Honolulu Star-Bulletin All-State honorable mention in fall 2002, playing linebacker for McKinley, and in 2003 he was state champion in paddling for McKinley’s mixed team.
After graduating from high school, Kalama received a two-year scholarship worth $2,500, one of 12 awarded in July 2003 by the Rotary Club of Metropolitan Honolulu.
He was not only athletic, he was also outgoing, Rodriguez said. Rodriguez said she and fellow alumni are devastated over Kalama’s death. “We’re all heartbroken,” she added. “We’re still in shock.”
Classmates have been contacting one another via social media, sharing memories of Kalama in the wake of the deadly shooting.
A police officer who worked in Central Receiving Division with both Enriquez and Kalama said they were “really good people” and “friendly officers.”
