Barabbas Dietrich, a 37-year-old Native Hawaiian, was shot while driving through Mililani just after midnight on December 14, 2023. A silver Ford Explorer allegedly followed his Nissan Pathfinder, sped up, and blocked both lanes of Kamehameha Highway near Kipapa Street. Two armed men reportedly exited the Explorer; as Dietrich tried to drive away, one of the men fired several rounds into the Pathfinder. A single bullet struck Dietrich in the head. He was found in the driver’s seat with bullet holes in the windshield and passenger-side door, taken to a hospital in critical condition, declared brain dead the next day, and died on December 17 after organs were donated. His female passenger was not physically injured.

Police say the shooting was not random and that the suspects knew Dietrich. Digital evidence, surveillance footage, and witness interviews led to arrests on December 19: 27-year-old Michael K. Caspino in Makaha and 34-year-old Clinton B. Kaaialii in Wahiawa, both held on suspicion of second-degree murder. A grand jury later returned a 13-count indictment adding 28-year-old Sabrecia Mililani Lee Hao, the passenger, accused of helping lead Dietrich into an ambush. All three pleaded not guilty in early January 2024 and the case was pending trial.

Does anyone in Mililani or who knew Barabbas have information that could shed light on why he was targeted?