HILO » “;Bad blood”; for the past three years between a murder suspect and a shooting victim was behind the fatal shooting of Cameron Mauga, 33, at a Hilo shoreline park on Sunday, the victim's girlfriend of 15 years told the Star-Bulletin.

But the woman, Laira Lee, said she was not present when the shooting took place just after 9 a.m. Sunday, and she doesn't know exactly what led to it.

Police Capt. Randall Medeiros confirmed that there was bad blood between Mauga and the suspect, his brother-in-law, Desmond Lewi, 31, of Hilo. Police have not determined a specific motive, he added.

Mauga is the younger brother of noted entertainer Russell Mauga.

Lewi is being held on $1 million bail. A preliminary hearing for him in District Court was scheduled for today.

Medeiros said the bail, much higher than normal, was sought because the murder weapon has not been found. The fact that the weapon is still in the community is a “;great concern”; to police, he said.

Police are worried about more possible violence. “;We can't rule out that there may be continued bad blood between the two families,”; Medeiros said.

But both families appeared to be cooperating with police. According to a police document filed in District Court, Lewi's sister identified him as the shooter. He was arrested a short distance from the shooting site, which is on the shoreline of the Keaukaha Hawaiian Home Lands area of Hilo.

Lee, Mauga's girlfriend, said Lewi is a “;real good guy.”;

“;He's a hard worker. He loves his children. This is not like him. He's always tried to avoid things,”; she said.

Lee and Mauga have four children, ages 4 to 10.

“;Everybody is in shock. They can't believe Desmond was capable of this,”; she said.

The police report says, “;The defendant was seated in his vehicle when the victim was shot.”;

Three unfired shotgun shells were found on the floor of Lewi's car, according to police.

An autopsy found that the wound that killed Mauga was consistent with a shotgun blast.

The place where Mauga fell is about 15 feet from the shoulder of a road, the report says.

Lee said she doesn't believe the shooting was related to drugs or an alleged argument among children from the two families. Medeiros said police have no evidence that those were factors, but they can't rule them out.