Neighbor describes terrifying moments of fatal fireworks blast

ALIAMANU (HawaiiNewsNow) - As authorities continue their investigation into how a deadly New Year’s explosion in Aliamanu unfolded, details continue to emerge about those terrifying moments.

On Thursday morning, there was no sign of the residents of the three-story Keaka Drive rental that was nearly destroyed.

Red Cross disaster volunteers were still on scene, while police detectives interviewed the neighbors as part of what sources say could be a manslaughter investigation.

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Gabriel Rolle rents the second floor of the home directly across from the blasted house. He was enjoying the fireworks with guests and the rest of the neighbors when it happened.

“The neighbors like to host every year. They were pretty good with like handling and everything. I guess this year was just not so good,” he said.

While speaking to Hawaii News Now, Rolle stood next to a friend’s white minivan, with windows shattered and multiple circular dents from shrapnel, the kind of projectile that injured so many people.

Rolle said he was sitting in a car trunk when the explosions began.

“A firework exploded like on the ground level, so not in the air. That’s when it just came flying. Stuff just started getting out of hand, and that’s when a bunch of fireworks just started lighting off,” he said.

“I just hopped out of the trunk and took cover while everything was going off,” he said.

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Rolle and his guests had minor cuts and burns, so he tried to help those in more trouble.

“A lot of people were just like staring walking in shock, didn’t know what to do, seemed kind of helpless and out of it. I’m glad that EMS and first responders were on scene to take care of and do what he needs to do,” Rolle said, acknowledging the quick arrival of ambulance and fire crews.

He said he is still processing how quickly things went from joy to terror.

“That was like the biggest part of how tragic and severe an event can be, and how that event can go from zero to 100 real quick,” he said.

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