Advertisement - Click to support our sponsors.

THE PUBLIC REACTS

Isle residents primarily
agree with the verdict

By Treena Shapiro
and Steve Murray
Star-Bulletin

THE Xerox shooting case has affected a lot of people, not just family and friends, but also people who work in the Nimitz Business Center, says Mike Toyama, owner of the Subway Sandwich Shop there.

"My heart and sentiments goes out to the families," said Toyama, who knew the victims and Byran Uyesugi.

Regarding the verdict, "I don't think he's insane, but anybody who commits murder obviously is insane in some way."

He's not sure if it makes a difference whether Uyesugi is in prison or a mental hospital, since he probably won't get out for a while.

"I'm kinda glad it's over, because there's no more constant reminder of what happened."

At Sears in Ala Moana, about 15 shoppers stopped to watch the jury deliver guilty verdicts live on the electronics section's numerous television sets.

"I'm happy. I was hoping he'd be found guilty," said Cheryl Mitamura, the key-operator for her office's Xerox machine at the state Health Department.

By Dennis Oda, Star-Bulletin
Debbie Kawamae, daughter-in-law of shooting victim Ronald
Kawamae, cries at a news conference that was held after
Byran Uyesugi was found guilty.

Mitamura, who calls Xerox when the copy machine needs service, said Ford Kanehira had serviced the machine for a few years. "He was very nice, friendly," she said. Ron Kawamae, who had also come to the office, was very nice, too.

"There was a big difference when Byran came," Mitamura said, referring to the one time Byran Uyesugi had come in to service the machine. "He blamed us for the problems (with the machine). It was our fault."

Mitamura said she didn't think her office was the only one to complain about Uyesugi's service.

Tommy Igarashi of Honolulu had expected the jury to find Uyesugi not guilty by reason of insanity.

"How can you kill that many people and have no remorse whatsoever? How can you sit in court?" he asked. "It was cold-blooded."

"I really thought that he would be found insane," Igarashi said.

Kern Nishioka was more surprised that the jury was able to reach a verdict so quickly.

"I just heard part of the closing, and it seemed like open-shut to me," he said.

The prosecution's closing arguments were compelling, he said, and he didn't believe Uyesugi was insane, "not after hearing what he planned to do and all the steps he had to take to do what he did.

Louis Sepulveda summed the verdict up in one word: "Good." "Why should he get away with this? No ways," he said.

Earl Simao, owner of Fast Signs on Nimitz Highway, next door to the Xerox building, didn't know the victims but saw them coming and going from work.

"I don't know if justice will ever be served. He ruined the lives of seven people and their families," Simao said.

---

Opening Arguments from May 15, 2000
Xerox killings - Nov. 2, 1999