Hawai‘i Island police have initiated a coroner’s inquest investigation following a shooting accident that occurred at the Camp Honokaia Boy Scout Camp near Honoka‘a on Sunday, August 28.

Hāmākua patrol officers responded to the camp after receiving a report of an unconscious child following a shooting incident.  HPD and HFD personnel located the boy’s body near the rifle range where he appeared to have a single gunshot wound. Due to the extent of his injury, the child was not transported by rescue.  He was later transported to the Hilo Medical Center where he was officially pronounced dead.  The victim’s identity is being withheld pending positive identification and notification of next of kin.

An autopsy is scheduled for this morning to determine the exact cause of death.
 
The Area I Criminal Investigation Division is continuing the investigation, which is currently classified as a coroner’s inquest.  Extensive interviews with all children and adults present at the time of the incident are ongoing. At this time, police do not suspect foul play.
 
Police are asking anyone with information regarding this incident to contact the police department’s non-emergency number at (808) 935-3311, or Detective Jeremy Kubojiri of the Area I Criminal Investigation Section, at (808) 961-2378 or via email at Jeremy.Kubojiri@hawaiicounty.gov.

Hawaiʻi County Mayor Mitch Roth released the following statement regarding the shooting:

“It was with heavy hearts that we learned of the tragic passing of one of our young boy scouts yesterday in Honokaʻa. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family in their time of grieving, as we remain hopeful that they will one day find peace. No family should have to suffer the pain of losing a child, and we hope this incident can help increase firearm safety awareness so that other families will not have to suffer the same tragedy. With that, we’d like to ask all of our residents to keep the young man’s family in their thoughts as they face a new journey ahead.”