Family and friends of the women fatally shot late Saturday night, Aug. 31, in Waianae struggled with the loss of three loving, caring people who were devoted to the people in their lives.
The city Department of the Medical Examiner on Wednesday, Sept. 4, identified the three women as 36-year-old Cherell Keamo, 34-year-old Courtney Raymond-Arakaki and 29-year-old Jessyca Amasiu. Keamo died from a “gunshot wound of the head,” while Raymond-Arakaki and Amasiu both died of “multiple gunshot wounds,” according to the medical examiner.
The violence on Waianae Valley Road reportedly began when members of the Keamo household asked a neighbor to stop cars from speeding past their home as they drove to and from a loud party at a nearby illegal commercial venue.
The neighbor, 59-year-old Hiram James Silva Sr., operated the property where the party was being held. He responded to the complaints by shooting five people, killing the three women and critically injuring two other people.
Raymond-Arakaki’s mother, Chermaine Raymond, 54, told the Honolulu Star-Advertiser she was not at the Keamo house that night, when they were having their own gathering of family and friends. But she described it as just another typical family gathering that the Keamo household often hosted.
Raymond said she was scheduled to meet up with her daughter on Saturday night but had to cancel their plans. Instead, Courtney attended the Keamo family gathering with her long-term partner, Wyman Keamo.
She learned of her daughter’s death from Wyman around midnight on Saturday.
“After everything happened, Wyman went to look for her and tried to revive her when he found her on the ground,” Raymond said. “He did everything he could to bring her back but couldn’t. Then he called me when the paramedics arrived.”
Raymond-Arakaki grew up in Kuliouou, moved to Makiki, and eventually moved to Kapolei to live with Wyman.
Raymond described her daughter as the “backbone” of their family.
As the eldest of five siblings, “Courtney was like a second mother to her three sisters and brother, as well as her nieces and nephews.”
Raymond added that Raymond-Arakaki’s aunties and uncles treated her like their own daughter, especially because she would often take care of their kids, her cousins.
“They were all super close,” Raymond said.
She said Raymond-Arakaki’s siblings have been struggling with the news of her death, particularly because she played a motherly role in their lives.
Raymond-Arakaki, according to her mother, was well-known around her friends and family as a “clean freak, she was always cleaning stuff and she’s super, super tidy.”
Raymond shared that she had an exceptionally close relationship with her daughter, not just as her mother but also as colleagues, as they both worked together at First Insurance Co. of Hawaii.
“She was also my friend. Courtney never caused any problems growing up. It was never a hassle raising her, even when she was in high school,” Raymond said. “She was great at being there for anyone. No matter where she was, she’d drive out to lend a hand.
“She was such a family person, always willing to drop everything to help her friends and family with anything they needed.”
Raymond explained that her family became acquainted with the Keamo family when Courtney started dating Wyman. Over their six-year relationship, the two families grew close, with Raymond referring to the Keamos as “extended family.”
“The Keamo family really loved Courtney dearly and respected us. They always invited us to their functions,” she said.
Raymond added, “They are very open people, welcoming anyone and everyone into their home. I don’t hear no bad. When you walk into their home, you feel comforted. You go there, and you don’t want to leave. That’s the kind of family they are.”
Raymond said that, despite the immense pain and suffering following the deaths of her daughter and two friends, she prefers not to dwell on the negativity.
“There can be hate, but I don’t want to get into that. I just want to remember my daughter as she was before she left us. I know she wouldn’t want anyone to get hurt because of this,” Raymond said. “We are here mourning for my daughter and we want to put it to rest. I don’t know what to do, I just don’t want it to continue. It’s hard. It’s tragic, for both families.”
Raymond acknowledged that the situation highlights broader issues, such as gun violence and a lack of community cohesion, but, like other Waianae residents, is uncertain about how to address these problems.
Raymond said she will definitely still keep in close contact with the Keamo family and make sure that Wyman and other family members get the resources they need to properly heal from this incident.
“Wyman was her everything, we can feel his hurt. He did everything for her, I can’t even explain it. As a mother, you would wish the best for your child and he is the best for her.”
Raymond noted that although she did not know the other two victims well, she had several pleasant interactions with them at gatherings.
Jessyca Amasiu, who had worked at First Hawaiian Bank, was remembered by loved ones as “a very beautiful person.”
Jocelyn Amasiu, Jessyca’s aunt, said Jessyca was regarded as the Keamos’ hanai child and she had a very close relationship with the family.
“The world is a much darker place without my niece in it,” Amasiu said. “It’s a great loss.”
Jylissa Arruda, 30, said Jessyca was one of her best friends, someone she could always rely on, and that she’s been struggling to process the news.
“The older we got, the closer we became. She was that one person I could go a long time without seeing. As soon as I saw her, it’s like we were never apart,” Arruda said.
Arruda’s mother, Lori Yomes, explained that their families became friends through Jessyca’s aunt.
Yomes described Jessyca as a “solid friend” whom she trusted to be her daughter’s “go-to person.”
She added, “Jessyca was no drama, just the sweetest person. She and Cherell were always willing to go the distance, whether it was for Jylissa or Jylissa’s children.”
Jessyca Amasiu lived with Cherell Keamo in Waianae, but not on the property where the shooting occurred.
Yomes and Arruda said the couple had been in a relationship for over a decade and were deeply loved by family and friends. Just a week before the tragic incident, the couple celebrated their anniversary with a vacation to Four Seasons Resort Maui.
Yomes described them as happy, outgoing people who loved to travel, often taking trips twice a year, and enjoyed baking for family, friends and for fun.
Arruda added that her family frequently ordered custom cakes from the couple for special occasions.
“Cherell was always very supportive of anything that Jess wanted to do,” Arruda said. “When Jess wanted to try out baking, they would do it together. They always wanted to do whatever it was that either of them wanted to do. They were very supportive of one another.”
Yomes and Arruda mentioned that the families directly affected are struggling to cope with the news and are particularly troubled by how quickly things escalated into aggression and violence from what was reportedly just a neighborhood conflict.
