Five days after he allegedly shot his terminally ill wife in her hospital bed and then may have intended to turn a gun on himself, 71-year-old Robert Yagi committed suicide in the Kailua home where the couple lived for more than 40 years.

The death has delivered another shock to the sleepy Olomana neighborhood where the Yagis were known as devoted parents and doting grandparents, and could raise questions about whether anything more could have been done to prevent the suicide. Advocates say the tragedy also highlights the immense emotional stresses caregivers endure.

Yagi was found dead Sunday afternoon by family members in his Ululani Street home.

The city medical examiner's office said yesterday he hanged himself.

The news quickly spread yesterday through Yagi's neighborhood, still in shock that a man they knew as a loving husband was at the center of an attempted-murder investigation after an apparent attempt to end his wife's suffering.

"It's just a tragedy," said Dolly Towne, who has known the Yagis for more than 40 years.

Longtime neighbor Francis Calleon said the community is saddened — and still a little stunned.

"If there's any lesson here, it's just understand how precious family is," he said.

Yagi was arrested last Tuesday after allegedly shooting his wife, Leatrice, also 71, in her third-floor hospital room at Castle, where she has been since October for a terminal illness.

In court documents, police said Yagi had been at his wife's bedside daily since she was admitted, "tending to her needs, keeping her company." Police said in the documents Yagi brought two guns with him to Castle — one to kill his wife, and one that he apparently intended to use on himself.

Yagi was released Friday on $50,000 bail. He was also banned from Castle Medical Center as a safety precaution. Yagi's wife remains at Castle. She suffered minor injuries in the shooting.

It is unknown whether police determined Yagi to be a suicide risk. Police said because of the ongoing investigation, they could not detail what type of evaluation, if any, Yagi received before his release.

'MASK OF STOICISM'

Police spokeswoman Michelle Yu said that it is police procedure for the department's on-call psychologist to be notified in cases where someone who is being arrested is thought to be at risk of suicide. The HPD psychologist would then determine whether the person who was arrested needs to be brought to a hospital for evaluation.

"The psychologist could be called from the scene or the cellblock," Yu said.

Yagi was set to make his initial court appearance today.

The Yagi family could not be reached for comment yesterday.

Robert Yagi's attorney, Howard Luke, said he spoke to Yagi at the Honolulu police cellblock and after he made bail, and he did not appear to be a risk to himself, though he added that his emotional distress may have been hidden "under a mask of stoicism."

Luke said Yagi's family was seeking professional help for the 71-year-old, and he added that the family is very close and was also providing support for him. Luke also said he talked to Yagi alone to ask him about the shooting incident, but Luke declined to share what Yagi said.

Luke did say, however, that Yagi loved his wife of more than 46 years dearly and was "in anguish" over her condition.

"I do know she was suffering," Luke said. "He talked to me about his relationship, how much he loved her. I think he couldn't live without her."

Luke added that Yagi's family is struggling to cope with what has happened.

"It's a very distressful time for them. They're a very close-knit family," he said. "This has been a double tragedy."

Mental health advocates and those who work in suicide prevention said yesterday it's too early to tell whether authorities could have done more to prevent Yagi from committing suicide. They said, however, that the case does deserve a thorough review to ensure HPD procedures were followed. Some also pointed out that the tragedy highlights the importance of suicide prevention training for first responders and for families so they spot signs of distress.

Dan Yahata, past chairman of Prevent Suicide Hawai'i, said that because he doesn't know the details of the case, he could not comment on what could have been done differently. But Yahata said that Yagi's death "really points out the importance of having trained personnel to be able to better address potential people in crisis," and added that the state and others are working to step up suicide prevention training for first responders, including for police and doctors.

He added that after any tragedy "our hindsight is 20/20."

Because of that, he said, it's important to learn from the past, but also to concentrate on prevention.

Marya Grambs, executive director of Mental Health America of Hawai'i, said it's not always clear-cut whether someone is a suicide risk. She said the law that allows authorities to take someone to a hospital for evaluation without their consent is "very tricky" because "there has to be an imminent threat."

CAREGIVERS' STRESS

Meanwhile, others said the Yagi case underlines the considerable stress caregivers can find themselves under.

Such stress can sink people into depression or take other mental health tolls, they said.

State Rep. Marilyn Lee, D-38th (Mililani, Mililani Mauka), co-chairwoman of the Aging in Place Joint Legislative Committee, said the Yagi tragedy "seemed like a clear indication that he was a caregiver under stress." She added that the state needs more support for people who care for sick loved ones. "Caregivers are the forgotten people in our community," she said, adding that they can suffer under severe emotional, financial and other stresses.

Roger Messner, 62, who lived in Yagi's neighborhood for 18 years, said the shooting and Yagi's death has hit many neighbors, especially since most are longtime residents and are now elderly and dealing with their own end-of-life issues.

"It touches home," he said.

Messner said he last saw Yagi a few days before the shooting. Yagi was out working in the yard, just like always.

Messner said he suspects it will take a while for the events of the last seven days to sink in for those who know the Yagis as devoted to each other and to family, and who were often seen baby-sitting grandkids or going places together.

What has happened, he said, "is not something that anyone would think" was possible.