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Man, 25, arrested in connection with fatal Waianae shooting

A 31-year-old man is dead after he was allegedly shot Tuesday morning by a 25-year-old man following a long-running dispute at the Waianae Boat Harbor.

Rastan Jaitano Hekah Brown-Castro was arrested at 11:12 a.m. on suspicion of murder in the second degree. Brown-Castro was arrested by police at 87-0891 Farrington Highway. He allegedly crashed a truck and fled on foot after the shooting.

The fatal shooting prompted a nearby school to tighten security and inspired calls from state lawmakers for peace.

Witnesses told police that Brown-Castro and the victim had an ongoing dispute.

“The argument escalated today and that’s when the suspect shot the victim multiple times,” said Honolulu Police Department Homicide Lt. Deena Thoemmes at a 6 p.m. news conference.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call 911 or CrimeStoppers.

Detectives continue to interview witnesses and review surveillance footage and other evidence collected after the killing. HPD’s investigation into what the pair were fighting about before it turned deadly is part of the ongoing investigation.

Honolulu Emergency Medical Services technicians responded to a call at about 11 a.m. Tuesday about a man who sustained multiple gunshot wounds at the harbor. Paramedics pronounced the man dead at the scene.

Waianae Intermediate School placed its campus on a “soft lockdown” due to the heavy law enforcement presence, according to a letter from the principal. A “soft lockdown” means staff and students were kept indoors in the event of an actual emergency, and was put in place as a precautionary measure.

The lockdown was lifted at 11:55 p.m.

Two state lawmakers from the area released a joint statement condemning the shooting and violence.

State Rep. Cedric Asuega Gates, who represents Waianae and Makaha, and state Sen. Cross Makani Crabbe, who represents Ko Olina, Nanakuli, Maili, Waianae, Makaha and Makua, said their constituents were “already mourning the loss of Aunty Twinkle Borge and now we are faced with another tragedy.”

“From our understanding, this incident is completely unrelated to the Puuhonua o Waianae community. The residents of 96792 are devastated by this news and condemn all acts of violence on the Leeward Coast. We are relieved to hear that the suspect in this shooting has been apprehended and will face the consequences of their actions,” read the statement. “We must continue to do better as a community – we need to come together to lead by example of what it means to show peace and unity. Violence is never the answer. Let’s keep our community, the victim, his family, and those affected in our prayers during this difficult time.”

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