A Hawaii man shot two police officers dead and sparked an inferno that destroyed at least seven homes after his landlady tried to evict him on Sunday, according to officials and reports.
Jerry Hanel, 68, allegedly stabbed his landlady and then opened fire on responding cops around 9:30 a.m., near the Honolulu tourist destination of Diamond Head, police sources told Hawaii News Now.
Officers Tiffany Enriquez, a seven-year veteran of the force and mother of three, and Kaulike Kalama, a nine-year veteran of the force, were killed, Honolulu Police Chief Susan Ballard said at a press conference, choking back tears.
A third officer was injured, with a gunshot wound to the leg, Ballard said.
Hanel then allegedly set fire to his home, according to the report. Authorities believe he died in the blaze, though he has not yet been located.
“We will continue to search for Hanel until we confirm that his remains have been recovered,” said Ballard.
The flames quickly spread to nearby homes, wiping out at least seven and damaging several more, Honolulu Fire Chief Manuel Neves told reporters.
Two people — both women — were also unaccounted for after the massive blaze.
The landlady, Lois Cain, was loaded into an ambulance with knife wounds to her leg, a neighbor told The Associated Press. Her condition wasn’t immediately clear.
Several Honolulu Police Department vehicles were also damaged in the fire.
Hanel had previous interactions with police but “had never acted out before,” Ballard said.
Attorney Jonathan Burge — who has represented Hanel since 2015 in various feuds with neighbors — said he never knew him to be violent, but that “he’s kind of a quirky guy and has problems.”
A native of the Czech Republic, who used interpreters in court, Hanel was due in court next week on a charge of misusing 911 services, Burge said.
Hanel believed the government was watching him and tapping his phone, Burge said, adding: “Maybe that’s what set him off.”
Cain had been letting him live at the home for free, in exchange for handyman work, but their relationship recently soured when Hanel’s dog died and she wouldn’t let him get a new one, Burge said.
She had sought to get him evicted, according to court records filed last week, which said Hanel did not have a rental agreement.
“This is an unprecedented tragedy for not only the City and County of Honolulu but the entire state of Hawaii,” Honolulu Mayor Kirk Caldwell said on Twitter.
“I would like to express my deepest condolences to the family and friends of the two officers as well as the entire Honolulu Police Department.”