Kaleipua Kamaleiokalani Kalamau-White, a 29-year-old man, died on September 23, 2023, in Waiʻanae, Hawaiʻi, after a late-night gathering at the Waiʻanae boat harbor turned into a burst of gunfire that sent people scrambling for cover and cars peeling out of the area. Police said the violence followed an argument, and when the shots stopped, Kalamau-White was found fatally wounded inside a vehicle at the harbor.

As the scene splintered into panic and confusion, more victims surfaced in the aftermath. Authorities reported that a 19-year-old who had been injured in the same incident later died at the hospital, while a 21-year-old woman was left in critical condition and another injured person—an 18-year-old—was reported in stable condition as detectives began trying to piece together who had fired at whom and why. 
In the days that followed, investigators described the shooting as a clash involving at least two groups, with the roles of “victim” and “suspect” shifting as interviews and evidence came in. Prosecutors later said detectives determined that two males initially classified as victims—including Javen Lopez—were actually suspects connected to the gunfire. Police indicated the 19-year-old who died was shot by someone from his own group, and investigators reported that the 19-year-old was believed to have shot and killed Kalamau-White and injured the woman. 
From her hospital bed, the critically wounded woman, Nawehilani Gomes, gave the case a human voice amid the cold facts. Court records described in reporting said she had been shot 11 times, yet still managed to identify Lopez as one of the men involved—telling police he pointed a gun at her and Kalamau-White during the chaos at the harbor. 
Lopez was arrested in Māʻili on the Monday after the shooting, and prosecutors filed a slate of felony charges that included one count of first-degree attempted murder, two counts of second-degree attempted murder, multiple firearm-related counts, and a charge related to possessing a pistol, with bail set at $2 million. Public reporting at the time said it was unclear who, specifically, the attempted-murder counts were tied to, and it was also unclear whether Lopez was responsible for the fatal shooting of the 19-year-old. 
