Waianae shooting victims identified, all classified homicide

HONOLULU (KHON2) — A rock and protector is how one family describes one of the women killed on Saturday, Aug. 31 in a horrific shooting in Waianae.

The Honolulu Medical Examiner’s office identified the victims — all from Waianae — on Wednesday, Sept. 4:

• Cherell Keamo, 36
• Courtney Raymond-Arakaki, 34
• Jessyca Amasiu, 29

Their deaths have been ruled a homicide.

KHON2 spoke to loved ones — several asked for privacy. Family members have not granted KHON2 permission to share photos of those killed in Saturday’s tragedy as of Wednesday, but the aunt of Courtney Raymond-Arakaki said the following through a a statement about her niece:

“How can you sum up a person’s life? It’s more than words can say, but the essence of who she was, was someone so pure, who had the biggest heart…”

Renee Arakaki, Courtney Raymond-Arakaki’s aunt

The attorney of the man who shot the suspect said his client was only protecting his loved ones — 36-year-old Cherell Keamo was his cousin.

“He has this party every year,” Green said. “He said, with all the noise and the music and the laughing, he heard the sound of of what turned out to be this piece of heavy equipment.”

“I think when my client was was taken into custody, he may have thought there were five dead women in the driveway!”

Michael Green, attorney for Rishard Keamo-Carnate

The front loader that was used to ram the home was still there on Wednesday, family members at the house asked KHON2 to give them privacy and not to use any photos of the victims that are posted on social media.

Green added that he has tried cases in several states for decades.

“This is probably, of all the things I’ve done, capital murder cases on the mainland,” Green said, “Whether it’s drugs involved, organized wise guys in Chicago getting paid for stuff. This is pure evil.”

Raymond-Arakaki’s aunt said her niece had a strong devotion to her ohana and added:

“She lived for her family, immediate and extended, and loved them fiercely. She truly was a rock and a protector,” Arakaki said.