Police investigating Hamakua shooting

Police say a 24-year-old woman was taken to the hospital Tuesday night after an apparently accidental shooting in Hamakua.

According to Hamakua Patrol Capt. Andrew Burian, police received a call about 6:30 p.m. asking for assistance on Paauilo Landing Road.

“Someone called up and said his girlfriend was shot with a gun,” Burian said Wednesday morning. “… At this point, it looks like it was an accidental thing, but we’re still conducting the investigation.”

Police arrested 24-year-old Sean M.K. Smith of Kailua-Kona for investigation of reckless endangering and two counts of carrying a pistol or revolver. He was in custody at the Hilo police cellblock while detectives investigated but hadn’t been charged as of Wednesday afternoon.

“They were shooting firearms during target practice. That’s the report we got,” Capt. Robert Wagner of the Hilo Criminal Investigation Division said Wednesday afternoon.

Wagner said more than one firearm was recovered from the shooting scene, “but there was only one firearm that shot the lady.”

“We’re investigating the cause of her injury, if it was accidental or intentional — that’s what we’re looking at right now,” he said.

Burian said it was Smith who called police.

The victim, who was not identified by police, sustained a gunshot wound to the leg, Burian said. There was no word on her condition.

Smith is not the Kona police detective of the same name, including middle initials. Police declined to say if the arrested individual is the detective’s son.

A call to Detective Smith on Wednesday afternoon was not returned in time for this story.

Email John Burnett at jburnett@hawaiitribune-herald.com.