In a shocking incident that has left the Hawaiian community reeling, a man in Honolulu is suspected of fatally stabbing his wife and their three children before taking his own life. This tragic event marks the most severe mass killing in Hawaii since 1999. The identities of the victims have not been officially released by the police, but local residents have identified the family as chiropractor Paris Oda, his wife Naoko Oda, and their three children.
The family resided in a second-floor unit of a house in the quiet Manoa neighborhood, as reported by local news outlet KITV. The occupants of the lower unit had reportedly left for Japan the previous day. The police were alerted to the incident by an anonymous 911 call on Sunday morning around 8:30 a.m. Upon arrival, the officers did not initially have sufficient information to enter the residence, according to police Lt. Deena Thoemmes.
Shortly after the first call, a second call was made, providing the police with the necessary information to enter the residence. Witnesses reported hearing an argument in the house earlier that morning. Inside, the police discovered the bodies of the husband, wife, and their three children, aged 10, 12, and 17. The preliminary investigation suggests that the husband stabbed his family before turning the knife on himself.
Lt. Thoemmes stated that there was no prior record of domestic violence involving the family, and the motive behind the tragic incident is still under investigation. Police Chief Joe Logan confirmed that there were no indications of trouble prior to the 911 call that morning.
Hiro Izumo, a neighbor of the family, expressed his shock to KITV, saying, “This is a super quiet neighborhood. Nothing ever happens here. It’s so quiet, you could walk around at night and not care. I just know they’re a younger family. They’re friendly neighbors. No problems with them ever.”
This incident is the second deadliest mass murder in Hawaii’s recent history, following a shooting at the Xerox building in 1999 where seven men were killed.