REPORT FROM SCHOFIELD BARRACKS, Hawaii – Army and city and county law enforcement have ended a five-hour search for a suspicious male after the Honolulu Police Department apprehended the suspect at approximately 3:15 p.m. behind Mendoca Park in Wahiawa.
The search was in connection with a threat received via telephone at 10:18 a.m. today and was related to a non-marital domestic dispute between the civilian male suspect and his girlfriend, a Soldier stationed at Schofield Barracks.
The suspect was a former Soldier assigned to Schofield Barracks and was involuntarily administratively separated from the Army in June 2011.
Schofield Barracks law enforcement personnel immediately responded to the threat and coordinated a search effort on the installation with increased patrols. An Emergency Operations Center was stood up to fully coordinate this effort with HPD and supporting law enforcement agencies. Schofield Barracks instituted a heightened state of alert.
As a precautionary measure, at approximately 11 a.m., Solomon and Hale Kula Elementary Schools were locked down and the students were sheltered in place. At no time were the schools a specific target. The lockdown was eventually lifted and Solomon Elementary School students were dismissed at 1:50 p.m. The Hale Kula Elementary School student release was delayed by approximately 45 minutes.
The installation has resumed normal operations. Col. Daniel Whitney, U.S. Army Garrison-Hawaii garrison commander, commended the combined efforts of state and federal law enforcement officials who assisted in the incident.
The incident is under investigation and more information will be provided by authorities as it becomes available.