Hawaii’s Instaweek: From Gunshots at School to Big Island Snow Caps

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Troubling reports of gunshots at Roosevelt High School early in the week raised the specter of a nightmarish school-shooter scenario.

It began on Tuesday morning as news broke that bullets had been fired, followed by the arrival of emergency responders at the school.

Hawaii hasn’t endured a mass shooting since the infamous Xerox mass killings in 1999, when a disgruntled worker named Bryan Uyesugi shot seven people in the Xerox building in Honolulu.

The Columbine High School massacre that same year was the opening volley in a horrific 15-year-long series of school shootings on the mainland that has continued with alarming frequency, and Hawaii suddenly seemed like it might be joining in.

You could almost hear the collective sigh of relief as more details emerged. The actual story — at least what has come out so far — is discomforting, but on a level far below any sort of school-shooter nightmare.

A police officer shot a 17-year-old boy in the wrist after the boy allegedly brandished a knife after cops approached him.

The drama quickly became a part of the social media ecosystem. KITV reported that text messaging and Twitter allowed students to communicate what they were going through and kept parents from worrying too much. By 10:30 a.m., hundreds of notably relaxed students were released from the lock down at their school and, in many cases, ready to enjoy the rest of the day off campus.

The shooting incident is likely to go to the courts. The wounded boy and his family have hired Eric Seitz, one of the most prominent — and feared — attorneys in the state. Seitz told the Associated Press that he blames the state Department of Education for failing to provide psychiatric help for the boy.

On a very different topic, Hawaii garnered curiosity from the mainland for a very different reason: the snow atop Mauna Kea on the Big Island.

Hawaii News Now posted a gorgeous photo gallery showing many sides of Mauna Kea, whether snow-covered or not.

Monday, Jan. 27

There are signs online that Monsanto public relations difficulties continue?

Such attacks might help to explain why the food production giant is starting a goodwill social media PR campaign in the islands. On Monday, [Monsanto Hawaii announced a “community engagement campaign” to help residents understand the company better.

Anyway, this is what Monsanto says about bees.

The campaign has already caught the attention of local media, including Hawaii News Now.

Tuesday, Jan. 28

It was the morning of the shooting at Roosevelt High. A tweet from the Washington Post spread the news on the mainland:

More police showed up, later followed by plenty of media, many of whose initial reports didn’t necessarily get all of the emerging details correct.

The incident even made it on to an Arkansas TV station’s Twitter feed.

And it made for some loud, unnerving graphics in Virginia.

Here are some of the students and a mother who is clearly relieved to see her daughter again.

Meanwhile, in national news, President Obama gave his State of the Union speech. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii had time to snap a selfie, this time with conservative Republican Rep. Tom Rice of South Carolina.

She hashtagged the photo #NoLabels, which refers to a bipartisan group of congressional leaders she has joined. They each wore lapel pins to show solidarity during the speech.

Wednesday, Jan. 29

The snowfall on Mauna Kea began Wednesday. It’s obviously not an every day occurrence, but it is rare enough. Besides, it’s amazing to think of skiing off the side of a volcano.

For striking time-lapse footage of the snow settling on Mauna Loa, visit the U.S. Geological Survey’s video here.

Thursday, Jan. 30

The snow kept falling, although the more traditional tropical weather began to return. Still, the Washington Post couldn’t help but notice Hawaii’s snow.

Viewers were able to check out the live images of the snow on Mauna Loa through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s website, and on Mauna Kea via the University of Hawaii’s website. Snow was still visible on both peaks as of Friday afternoon.

Even in snow, Hawaii style remains casual and lightly dressed.

Friday, Jan. 31

It was a good week for uncommon views of Hawaii. This one may be the biggest-picture shot of all. It shows the islands from way up high, courtesy of NASA and the state Pacific International Space Center for Exploration Systems.

Hawaii is often referred to as the most isolated population and group of islands on Earth. This photo shows the contrast of the islands with the epic Pacific Ocean and the nearly endless confines of outer space.

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