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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 1:08 p.m., Wednesday, March 18, 2009

Waianae High ohana mourn yet another loss

By Will Hoover
Advertiser Staff Writer

Royal Kaukani always had a smile on her face, say those who knew her.

Today, a day after she was shot to death in Ewa, they were still grieving for the 2001 Waianae High School graduate who was known as a top volleyball player and all-around nice person.

"She was the one who held the team together. She was a leader," said Rae Fabrao, principal at Waianae Intermediate School and Kaukani's former volleyball coach.

Kaukani's violent death was the second to befall the Waianae High School community in recent weeks. Asa Yamashita, a reading strategies coach at the school, was stabbed to death Feb. 27 in an unprovoked attack at the Ewa Town Center.

"We're not even done grieving over Asa within the community, and then to have something like this happen," said Fabrao.

Reach Will Hoover at whoover@honoluluadvertiser.com.