HILO — A fatal shooting early Monday evening in lower Puna might have been the deadly result of a love triangle.
Sources, who asked not to be named, identified the victim as 57-year-old Bryan Thomas, a neighbor of the alleged shooter, Richard “Rick” R. Edwards, in the gated Kapoho Beach Lots subdivision. They said the 72-year-old Edwards was romantically involved with Thomas’ former girlfriend.
Capt. Robert Wagner of the Hilo Criminal Investigation Division said Tuesday police were withholding the identity of the victim pending notification of mainland relatives.
According to media reports, Thomas went to Edwards’ home on Kumukahi Road to confront Edwards with a baseball bat, and fell victim to a 12-gauge shotgun blast. Wagner declined to confirm some of the details in those reports.
Edwards reportedly called 911 at 5:14 p.m. Monday to inform police of the shooting. Thomas was reportedly found unresponsive, face down in the driveway.
Edwards was arrested Monday night on suspicion of second-degree murder and was being held pending further investigation by detectives. He had not been charged as of late Tuesday afternoon.