A Kailua man charged with shooting his wife as she lay in a hospital bed may have wanted to end her life because she was suffering from a terminal illness, according to court documents.

And when Robert M. Yagi, 71, went to Castle Medical Center on Tuesday evening, he may have planned to kill himself as well, police believe.

Yagi was charged yesterday with one count of second-degree attempted murder in connection with the shooting Tuesday of his wife, Leatrice, also 71. Yagi's bail was set at $50,000 and he is scheduled to make his initial appearance in District Court today.

By all accounts, Robert Yagi was a loving and caring husband. Since his terminally ill wife entered the hospital in October, he was seen daily in her room, tending to her needs and keeping her company, according to a police affidavit.

But shortly after 6 p.m. Tuesday, nurses heard a loud "bang" and found smoke in Leatrice Yagi's third-floor room. One nurse told police she smelled an odor similar to firecrackers and found Yagi standing next to his wife's bed.

The nurse asked them what had happened, but Yagi didn't respond and left the room carrying a white plastic bag that contained a brown paper bag, the affidavit said. The nurse left to report the incident to hospital security and the head nurse.

A second nurse went to Leatrice Yagi's room and found a shotgun shell on the floor. When the nurse asked Mrs. Yagi what had happened, she replied, "My husband shot me," the affidavit said.

The nurse said she saw black marks on Leatrice Yagi's face and the blanket, along with red marks that appeared to be blood on her chest area. The nurse also saw white and black grains of an unknown substance, the affidavit said.

Hospital security detained Robert Yagi until police arrived.

Yagi is accused of firing a shotgun round from a flare gun at his wife.

Leatrice Yagi was treated at the hospital for minor injuries, police said.

Police recovered a spent shotgun shell in the woman's room and an orange flare gun in a brown paper bag.

An officer said he believed Yagi had planned a murder-suicide when he went to the hospital that day.

"(I) determined that Robert had fired a loaded orange flare gun loaded with a 00 buck shot 12-gauge round at Leatrice in an attempt to end her life," Officer Kaimi Kellett said in the affidavit. "Further investigation showed that Robert may have tried to end his life at the same time using another loaded orange flare gun."

The affidavit did not say whether Yagi fired a round at himself.

Yagi has no criminal record in Hawai'i.