Kīlauea residents blame police after deadly shooting and ignored warnings

A Kauai grand jury indicted William “Billy” Sinclair on June 17 on 28 counts after Kīlauea neighbors said they spent months warning police that he was waving guns, making threats and firing weapons on his property. The case has become a test of whether repeated complaints, restraining orders and gun-removal tools can stop a dangerous escalation before it turns fatal.

The indictment includes second-degree murder, attempted murder, two counts of carrying or using a firearm in the commission of a separate felony, 21 counts of ownership or possession prohibited, and three counts of possessing a prohibited firearm or silencer. Prosecutors allege Sinclair, who is barred from owning guns because of a prior felony conviction, possessed 20 firearms, three suppressors and ammunition. He was arrested June 8 in connection with the killing of Sergio Reyes Hernandez, 32, who worked at Federico’s Fresh Mex Cuisine in Hanalei.

Neighbors say the warning signs were not subtle. Over the year before the arrest, residents told police Sinclair had been threatening people and shooting guns on his property, according to Honolulu Civil Beat. Some neighbors were so alarmed they sought restraining orders that barred him from possessing firearms or ammunition. Civil Beat reported that it was unclear what steps Kauai police took before the killing to remove the weapons, and one neighbor put the complaint bluntly: “KPD really failed the community.”

Court records and local reporting show that protective orders were secured before the fatal shooting. Gilbert Alapai was granted a three-year temporary restraining order on Aug. 29, 2025, after saying Sinclair entered his home, pulled a knife and later pointed a gun in his face. Kauai Now also reported that Cassiah Linn and Leonel Calvan obtained a temporary restraining order in January 2026 after they said Sinclair harassed them over barking dogs, yelled racial slurs and threatened to make their lives a living hell. Other neighbors said he had pulled a gun on one of them and threatened to kill dogs.

The public-safety fallout widened during the search for Sinclair. KPD Chief Rudy Tai said the manhunt lasted 50 hours, and KITV reported it ended in the ocean off Kapaa, where Sinclair was armed and refused to surrender for hours while people watched from the beach. Nearby residents were temporarily evacuated and Kīlauea Road was closed during the search. Police also warned that anyone who helped Sinclair evade arrest could face hindering prosecution charges.

Bail was first set at $500,000, then raised to $1.5 million before a no-bail warrant was issued after the indictment. The case has also revived scrutiny of Hawaii’s gun-removal process, including a law enacted five years ago that Civil Beat said had drawn only 10 petitions statewide. For Kīlauea residents, the unanswered questions are immediate: why repeated warnings did not trigger faster intervention, whether the weapons could have been seized sooner, and what police and prosecutors will change before the next threat becomes a homicide.