Drugs at core
of shooting siteA shopping center in Waimalu is said
to be rife with illegal activity
A father-son feud that led to gunfire Wednesday has cast a spotlight on a Waimalu neighborhood that residents and shopkeepers say is rampant with illegal drug activity.
"There's a lot of drug deals, druggies and homeless around here," said one Waimalu Shopping Center store owner who asked not to be identified. "I'm glad this happened so it opened people's eyes."
The shooting incident began across the street from the Zippy's at an apartment building at 98-103 Kanuku St.
Area businesspeople and residents said they recognized the 54-year-old suspect on TV news as a drug dealer who hangs out in the area.
A 20-year-old woman who witnessed the shooting said the older man pointed a rifle at a younger man, who was holding a pistol.
"At first I thought they were playing around," when she saw them running and ducking, she said.
She said she saw the man fire the rifle at the younger man and called police.
Police said the younger man was in a truck when his father allegedly fired the rifle several times, shattering the vehicle's windows. The flying glass cut the son, but he was not seriously injured. At least a half dozen shots were fired into the truck, police said.
Police initially said the man shot at his 34-year-old son after the son confronted his father about drugs. Neighbors said both the father and son sell drugs.
Police said they have not recovered the weapon, but recovered .22-caliber rifle shells and a pellet gun that the son allegedly dumped in a trash can on Kanuku Place.
Detective Alex Garcia said he is still questioning witnesses to determine what the two men were arguing about.
"By all accounts, there's been a continuous flow of bad flood between father and son for many years," he said. "I don't know what triggered it."
Garcia said area police officers report a lot of drug activity in the area.
Residents and businesspeople said drug users smoke crack, while others sell drugs in the Waimalu Zippy's bathroom.
Others report prostitutes jumping into cars near the shopping center.
The Zippy's manager said she is aware of the problem, locks the restroom if she notices a lot of activity and calls police.
"(Drug) activities have picked up within the last two weeks," she said.
Nadine Vidal, manager of the Aiea location of the V.I.P. Car Rentals, said drug dealing and "ice" smoking in the shopping center parking lot goes on at all hours.
"They all hang over here," Vidal said.
And that hurts business because customers feel intimidated, she said.
"They ask some of my customers if they want to buy drugs," Vidal said.
She often calls police, but nothing ever happens, she said.