This story was updated with new statement and information from Kaua‘i County Mayor Derek Kawakami.
Kaua‘i County Mayor Derek Kawakami says the Kaua‘i community is built on aloha, respect and looking out for one another. It cannot allow something such as a youth sports event to become a place of fear and concerns for public safety.
Kawakami issued a statement Tuesday following an altercation Oct. 24 during the final moments of the Kapa‘a High School homecoming football game against Waimea High School.
Kauaʻi Police Department also reminded the public Tuesday that threats of violence involving schools and school-related activities are tolerated. The urgent reminder follows an investigation of a weekend social media post allegedly threatening a firearm would be brought to a high school football game.
“What happened at Saturday’s football game is unacceptable and not who we are as a Kaua‘i community,” said Kawakami. “A high school football game should be a place where our students can compete, our families can come together and our community can show its support for one another. Instead, we saw violence break out among players and spectators, along with a reported threat involving a firearm.”
The mayor said the weekend’s events are deeply concerning and have no place at schools or anywhere on the island.
Officers contacted those involved in the alleged social media threat, and one person was detained. The investigation was forwarded to Kauaʻi County Office of the Prosecuting Attorney for review.
“We can be passionate about our schools, proud of our teams and competitive on the field while still treating one another with respect,” Kawakami said. “Our keiki are watching us, and the example we set matters. We have a responsibility to show them how to handle disagreements, how to respect others and how to represent our schools and our island with pride.”
Kauaʻi police take all threats involving school safety seriously and will thoroughly investigate such incidents to pursue appropriate enforcement action to the fullest extent permitted by law.
Kauaʻi Police Chief Rudy Tai urges anyone who becomes aware of a potential threat to speak up and report it to law enforcement.
Police work closely with school officials and community partners to assess reported threats, share information as appropriate and support the safety and security of Kauaʻi schools.
“I urge everyone in our community, especially our parents and adults, to help set the right example and hold one another accountable,” Kawakami said. “We can disagree, compete and cheer for our teams without losing sight of our shared responsibility to keep our children and our community safe.”
Anyone with information about a potential threat to school safety is encouraged to contact Kauaʻi Police Department’s non-emergency line at 808-241-1711.
Call 9-1-1 if the situation is an emergency.
