DIAMOND HEAD, Hawaii (KHON2) — It’s been five years since the Oahu community came together to pick up the pieces of the Diamond Head tragedy where two Honolulu police officers were fatally shot and an entire neighborhood was set ablaze.
Get Hawaii’s latest morning news delivered to your inbox, sign up for News 2 You
On Sunday, Jan. 19, the Diamond Head community came together once again to honor the lives of Officers Kaulike Kalama and Tiffany Enriquez.
Emotional reunion for Diamond Head victims and first responders
The tragedy stemmed from a landlord-tenant dispute. The landlord filed a court eviction for Jerry Hanel and he was served the notice just a few days before the incident.
According to HPD, Hanel then attacked the landlady and another woman, stabbing them both with a three-pronged garden tool.
As responding officers were walking down the driveway with the victims, Hanel opened fire and struck Officer Enriquez, a mother and seven-year HPD veteran.
“Two other officers were forced to take cover. As more officers arrived to assist the suspect fired at the second group of officers and fatally struck Officer Kalama,” said Susan Ballard, former HPD Chief.
Both officers later died of gunshot injuries. Officer Kalama is survived by his wife and son.
Following the shooting, witnesses observed thick black smoke coming out of the home. Firefighters were held back due to sounds resembling rounds of fire.
“I saw the fire and it was kind of crazy. They blocked the whole area right here. So for a very long time, we couldn’t even, like, park over here,” said Nore Habbab, Honolulu resident.
Check out more news from around Hawaii
In that time, the fire consumed seven nearby homes on Hibiscus Drive and damaged many more.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KHON2.
