Police identify man in Ha'ateiho shootings [1]
Wednesday, April 9, 2008 - 15:51. Updated on Friday, July 24, 2015 - 16:54.
Naulala 'Eli (64) has been identified as the shooter who killed himself at Ha'ateiho, after shooting and wounding his wife and a young man on the morning of Sunday April 6, in a drunken rage.
The Tonga Police confirmed today that Naulala used the same .22 rifle licensed to him to kill himself after first shooting and injuring his wife Mele on the right upper side of her chest.
He then later shot a young man 'Esitio Kautai (20) and the bullet speared one of his cheeks. Both casualties were reported to have been conscious when they arrived at the hospital.
The Assistant Police Commander and Officer in Command of Crime and Operation, 'Unga Fa'aoa, confirmed today the three shootings took place within half an hour after 1am on Sunday.
He said a witness who was one of Naulala's drinking mates and the driver who drove him to see his wife at Pea stated that they were drinking at Naulala's tax allotment at Ha'ateiho on Saturday night up to Sunday morning.
He said Naulala insisted that he drive him to Pea to see his wife since they had been separated for about two weeks. When they got there it was around 1:30am and Nauala and his wife had a short argument before he got back into the vehicle.
The driver said Naulala told him to drive back to Ha'ateiho to get his cigarettes when they arrived at his tax allotment he instead got his .22 rifle. 'Unga said the driver was terrified at this time obliged to drive Nauala back to Pea after he threatened to shoot him with the gun.
He said when they got to Pea the wife was sitting inside the house, and he got off and yelled at her, "we are finished", the wife in return did not reply and he fired two shots at her through the window.
The driver said Naulala then got into the vehicle and said to drive him back to Ha'ateiho. He got off about 100 mts from his daughter's house, which was located at the end of the village.
'Unga said 'Esitio at this time was passed out at the back of the vehicle from the drinking woke up and said something to Naulala, he told him to be quiet or he will shoot him and he did.
The driver then rushed 'Esitio to the hospital and Mele was rushed a few moments after by his son who was living at Pea.
'Unga said Naulala then walked up to his daughter's home and started yelling outside the gate and fired six shots before shooting himself in the head with the seventh bullet about 2am.
He said the two casualties are reported to be recovering well at Vaiola Hospital.
Illegal firearms
'Unga said the police are very concerned with the shooting incidences that have taken place in Nuku'alofa and the fact that there are illegal firearms circulating on the island.
He said the police held an Amnesty for Firearms earlier this year, "still we are calling on the public to report in people who are in possession of illegal firearms."
"To date only a few people have reported in illegal firearms so we are encouraging the people to come forward so as to prevent any more shootings, because we can only confiscate illegal firearms after a crime is committed or when a crime is about to be committed," said 'Unga.