The Navy has released the identities of the sailor and two shipyard workers that were killed in a Wednesday shooting.
“Two Department of Defense civilians died following a shooting at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam on Dec. 4,” read the Friday statement. “The shooter, a Navy sailor assigned to USS Columbia (SSN-771), died from self-inflicted gunshot wound.”
The yard workers were:
- Vincent Kapoi of Hawaii, Metals Inspector Apprentice, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard
- Roldan Agustin of Hawaii, Shop Planner (Nondestructive Testing), Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard
The shooter was Machinist’s Mate Auxiliary Fireman Gabriel Antonio Romero from Texas.
USNI News understands Romero was part of the submarine’s force protection detail while Columbia was undergoing repairs in Drydock 2 at the shipyard.
According to an incident report, Romero “opened fire on shipyard personnel with his M4 service rifle and then turned his M9 service pistol on himself,” reported Fox News.
Romero reported to Columbia on June 28, 2018, after being a student at the Navy Submarine School at Naval Submarine Base Groton, Conn. He enlisted in the Navy on Dec. 11, 2017.
“The submarine, homeported in in Pearl Harbor, remains in dry-dock at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for routine maintenance,” read a statement from the service.
The more-than-100-year-old shipyard is one of four major repair facilities operated by the Navy to service aircraft carriers and submarines throughout the fleet. Thousands of sailors and civilians work in and around the facility that’s adjacent to the U.S. naval base and U.S. Pacific Fleet headquarters near Honolulu.
The following is the complete Dec. 7, 2019, Navy statement.
JOINT BASE PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM – Two Department of Defense civilians died following a shooting at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard at Joint Base Pearl Harbor Hickam on Dec. 4. The shooter, a Navy Sailor assigned to USS Columbia (SSN 771), died from self-inflicted gunshot wound. The civilians have been identified: – Vincent J. Kapoi of Hawaii, Metals Inspector Apprentice, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. – Roldan A. Agustin of Hawaii, Shop Planner (Nondestructive Testing), Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. The Sailor was identified as Machinist’s Mate Auxiliary Fireman Gabriel Antonio Romero of Texas, assigned to USS Columbia (SSN 771). The submarine, homeported in in Pearl Harbor, remains in dry-dock at the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard for routine maintenance.
