Toby Stangel, 28, was taken into custody at about 1 a.m. on the Kaamilo Street overpass of the H1 Freeway after investigators say he targeted unsuspecting victims, all of them in their cars. The shooting spree began in Kaimuki and ended in Aiea.
At one point investigators say Stangel shot at two police officers who were conducting a routine traffic stop on the Moanalua Freeway by the Aiea off-ramp. The officers were not injured by the gunfire.
One of the three victims who were shot, Tammy Nguyen, 54 of Palolo Valley, died as a result of her wounds.
Stangel is the son of Pastor Mike Stangle, who leads a congregation that meets every Sunday morning at the Haleiwa Gymnasium.
Family spokesman Bob Prasser, a former assistant chief of police, said the alleged shooter’s father and mother, Karen Stangel, are absolutely “heartbroken” over what transpired.
“He’s really grieving, especially for the lady that passed away,” said Prasser. “They’re praying for the family and also for the other victims who are in the hospital”
According the Prasser Toby Stangle was involved in “some type” of a treatment program and the family wants to determine if drugs played a role in the shootings.
“Everybody’s assuming this is some type of drug induced behavior and it very well may be, but we don’t know that yet and so there’s a lot of unanswered questions – it’s not the Toby that we know,” he said. “When you have senseless violence like this something has to be wrong – nobody just goes out and plans something like this.”
Longtime family friend Mary Chun described Stangel as a roguish child who had encountered problems in adult life. However she added that no one who knew him ever thought he would be capable of the extreme violence that played out early Friday morning.
“I knew him growing up,” she said. “I mean typical mischievous kid but you know you’re really never gonna think anything. It was horrible, I mean I still can’t believe it and I’m in a state of shock.”
The elder Stangel and his wife were three days into a vacation in Los Angeles when the shooting took place. Prasser said the couple has been monitoring developments closely but it was unclear when they might return to Oahu.
Like many people on Oahu the family is trying to make sense of why Stangel went on his alleged rampage.
“We’re presuming Toby did it – you know I don’t know want to say anything like that but it sure doesn’t look good at this point and we have no idea why,” said Prasser.
North Shore Christian Fellowship is planning a special service for the victims of the shooting Sunday morning at 9 a.m. at the Haleiwa Gymnasium.
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See the original article at: KHON2 Local News
