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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted at 11:18 p.m., Thursday, November 6, 2008

Teen charged in Nimitz Highway June shooting

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Shaw Awber, 18, also known as Shaw Mohammad Awber

Courtesy of Honolulu Police Department

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Prosecutors yesterday charged a teenager with multiple felony offenses related to a June 29 highway shooting near Honolulu Airport in which 10 shots were allegedly fired at 11 young people in a pickup truck.

Shaw Awber, also known as Shaw Mohammad Awber who turned 18 last month, was arrested by police at noon after Family Court waived its jurisdiction, clearing the way for him to be charged as an adult. He was charged with attempted first-degree murder, three counts of attempted second-degree murder, carrying or use of a firearm in commission of a separate felony, and place to keep a firearm.

Awber is being held in lieu of $200,000 bail pending his initial appearance today at District Court.

Family Court also waived its jurisdiction over Awber in other criminal cases — first-degree criminal property damage and two second-degree assaults — for which he was charged yesterday as an adult. Bail is $100,000 for those offenses.

A court document related to the shooting case stated Awber was identified as the shooter by one of the nine girls, ages 14-18, in the 2003 Chevrolet S-10 pickup truck that was shot at on North Nimitz Highway. A pickup truck's 23-year-old male driver and his passengers were not injured.

Awber had been under Family Court jurisdiction from July 4 when he surrendered to police until yesterday.

An affidavit filed at District Court today stated that pickup truck driver was taking the girls home from a party in Waipahu. He had dropped off one girl, who had received a call from her ex-boyfriend while at the party demanding she go home immediately.

After dropping the girl off about a block from her house because she feared the ex-boyfriend might be waiting for her, the pickup truck driver noticed a white Toyota Matrix following him. Two other vehicles — a silver Mercedes and dark blue Chevrolet Blazer — also began following on either side of the pickup truck, which went on the viaduct and was traveling 60-70 mph in an attempt to get away from the vehicles.

The witness, who identified the shooter, was seated on the right front in the truck's bed. She alleges Awber pointed a "black gun" from the Blazer, which was to the left rear of the pickup truck, and fired 10 shots.

Four rounds penetrated metal on the pickup truck, according to the affidavit. Two rounds struck the passenger-side door and one of those passed through the door and entered the passenger compartment, hitting the side of the seat. Another round penetrated the right-front quarter panel while still another hit the right rear well.

Five people, including the driver, were seated in the cab of the pickup truck when the shots were fired.

The Blazer moved to the driver's side of the pickup truck and several more shots were fired, hitting the driver's side door in two places.

As the pickup truck was approaching the Hickam Air Force Base off-ramp, Awber allegedly shot again. The bullet hit the front tire and caused it to blow out while the pickup truck was going 60-70 mph, making it difficult for the driver to control it, the affidavit stated. The driver continued on the wheel's rim.

Police responded at 1:40 a.m.

The criminal property damage and second-degree assault charges are connected to an attempted auto theft last year in Kalihi.

An affidavit filed at court said that on Dec. 3, 2007, two men sleeping in a 1993 Honda Civic parked at 1519 Kaumuali'i St. were allegedly confronted by five males with baseball bats and batons at 4 a.m.

As the men were striking the car with the bats and batons, the owner of the vehicle who had come out of his apartment upon hearing cries for help, allegedly saw Awber among the group.

He recognized Awber, who had not masked his face like the others in the group, because he had previously caught Awber trying to steal his car. The car owner told police the attack was a retaliation against him for filing a police report against Awber for the attempted auto theft.

One of the two men in the car was repeatedly struck on the arm and leg while the other man was hit on the forehead.

At 9 p.m. on Dec. 3, the two men who were in the car earlier and another man were allegedly attacked by Awber and two companions, identified in a court document as Nicholas Nichols and Martin Akira Dixon, as they were walking on McNeil Street near Dillingham Boulevard.

One of the victims, who had punched Nichols, was allegedly struck by Awber with a golf club, the affidavit stated. The same victim was allegedly stabbed with the broken shaft of the golf club.

The car owner, meanwhile, and two other men were involved in another incident involving Awber on May 1 of this year at the corner of McNeil and Kaumuali'i streets.

An affidavit on that incident stated that Awber and a man identified as Nicholas Nichols confronted the three men. Awber allegedly chased the car owner down and struck him several times with a bat. The victim suffered a concussion.

Police allegedly arrested Awber on Aug. 28 on the property damage and assault counts at the Alder Street detention facility, where he was being held on the Nimitz Highway shooting case as a juvenile.

Nichols is the indicted suspected shooter in the Aug. 11 Aliamanu home invasion robbery and has been identified as the driver of a car from which Joshua Gonda allegedly shot at another vehicle July 9, wounding a 16-year-old boy.

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.