Navy sailor who shot himself after ten-hour standoff at Hawaii resort is state's THIRD submariner to die by suicide in 16 months including 2019 mass shooter
The suicide of a Navy sailor who barricaded himself inside a luxury hotel in Honolulu for 10 hours on Sunday before he fatally shot himself is the state's second submariner to kill himself in the past month, and third in the last year-and-a-half.
A spokesperson for the Pacific Fleet told DailyMail.com on Monday that the military would not yet release the identity of the 40-year-old sailor who was found dead inside a room at Kahala Hotel & Resort early on Sunday morning.
But officials did say that he served in on a submarine.
The sailor’s death comes less than three weeks after Torpedoman’s Mate 3rd Class Petty Officer Manuel Hernandez Julian Jr, 23, died of self-inflicted gunshot wound at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Hawaii.
And in December 2019, a US Navy sailor, Gabriel Antonio Romero of San Antonio, Texas, shot three civilian shipyard workers, killing two, at the Pearl Harbor military base before killing himself.
A US Navy sailor barricaded himself inside a fourth-floor room at the luxury Kahala Hotel & Resort in Honolulu on Sunday and fatally shot himself. He is the second Hawaii-based service member to die by suicide in the last month and the third to do so in the last 16 months
Torpedoman’s Mate 3rd Class Petty Officer Manuel Hernandez Julian Jr (left), 23, died of self-inflicted gunshot wound at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in Hawaii on March 15. In December 2019, a US Navy sailor, Gabriel Antonio Romero (right) of San Antonio, Texas, shot three civilian shipyard workers at the Pearl Harbor military base before killing himself
Julian, a resident of San Jose, California, had been assigned to the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine the USS Charlotte, according to Military.com.
His death is being investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS).
‘We are deeply saddened by the loss of a Shipmate,’ a statement from the military read.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the Sailor’s family, friends and shipmates.’
In December 2019, Romero shot three civilian shipyard workers at the Pearl Harbor military base.
Romero killed Roldan Agustin, 49, and Vincent Kapoi Jr, 30, and wounded Roger Nakamine, 36, in the December 4, 2019 shooting at the Hawaii base.
Romero’s job was to stand watch and provide security for the submarine USS Columbia.
Before the incident, Romero was unhappy with his commanders and had been undergoing counseling, including anger management sessions.
Vincent Kapoi Jr, 30, was fatally shot by Romero at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii on December 4, 2019
Investigators probing Sunday’s shooting in Honolulu reportedly learned that the man's wife informed security at the hotel that he had barricaded himself in a room on the fourth floor, was suicidal, according to HawaiiNewsNow.
The 40-year-old man fired a gun through the door when security came to do a welfare check sometime after 5:30pm on Saturday local time.
No one was injured. Police arrived on the scene quickly and secured the area.
The hotel, which at that point had some 100 guests, was put on lockdown.
Seven hours later, guests and staff were allowed to leave.
Other images from outside the resort showed a large police presence, including a SWAT team.
The gunman was a lieutenant commander in the Navy stationed on Oahu, Hawaii News Now anchor Lynn Kawano reported.
Police said that the suspect was a member of the military and that his commander had been called to the scene, where the gunman's family members also tried to help police convince him to surrender.
The incident initially broke out around 6pm local time on Saturday, when a hotel security guard knocked on the door and the suspect fired a shot through the closed door, according to Hawaii News Now.
Police rushed to the scene and the suspect fired multiple shots again through the door at the officers, who called out his name and asked him to give up.
Guests who were enjoying dinner and mingling on the property were shocked as a SWAT team rushed through and staff put the property on lockdown.
'Attention! Attention! Due to the building emergency, we ask that all hotel guests remain in their rooms with their doors locked and off of their balconies,' a staff member announced over the public address system.
Masked-up guests are seen gathered in the ballroom as they shelter in place
Police can be seen inside the Kahala Resort & Hotel. The hotel was put on lockdown
Members of the Honolulu Police Specialized Services Division respond to a barricade situation with an armed man at the Kahala Hotel in Honolulu on Saturday
Some guests spent the night locked inside their rooms waiting anxiously for news about the standoff, while others sheltered in the resort ballroom.
Around 100 guests were seen hiding in the ballroom in video shared on social media, as armed SWAT police set up a perimeter around the gunman.
Several hours into the standoff, the hotel provided pillows and blankets to the people sheltering in the ballroom.
Rex Jakobovits told Hawaii News Now that the mood inside the ballroom was initially quite tense, with some people crying, but eventually lightened. He said people felt safe because officers were posted outside the doors.
As the standoff wore on, police began evacuating guests who were not staying at the hotel in small groups.
Resident Yevgeniy Lendel said he was walking nearby when cops swarmed the five-star hotel.
He told Hawaii News Now: 'The cops told everyone to run and shelter. We ran away from the hotel.'
Emergency response vehicle is seen at Kahala Resort & Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii
A police dog is seen at the scene with officer who speak with hotel staff
The hotel was placed on lockdown after an armed man fired shots through the door of a guest room and barricaded himself inside
A Twitter user named Jani shared that her mom works at the hotel and tweeted: 'Pls pray for my mom and the employees of the Kahala hotel. There is a gunman on the lose in the hotel & both her and her husband are on lockdown in their separate departments. I'm praying that no one gets hurt.'
The hotel which costs around $500 a night has 306 rooms.
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