By Associated Press - Tuesday, October 23, 2018

HONOLULU (AP) - A Hawaii man accused in a deadly shooting at an illegal game room in Honolulu has pleaded not guilty.

Deputy Public Defender Doris Lum entered a not guilty plea Monday on behalf of 35-year-old Prescott Kesi, who is charged with second-degree attempted murder and two firearm offenses.

Kesi approached 28-year-old Pitulo Vaipapa and yelled at him at the game room in Kalihi on Sept. 30, Honolulu police said. He then used a handgun to strike Vaipapa on the head.

Vaipapa was shot in the head after the two men wrestled and the gun went off twice, police said. Kesi fled after a bouncer gained control of the gun.

Kesi surrendered to officers at a police station about an hour after the shooting.

Vaipapa was taken in critical condition to a hospital and died last week.

A Honolulu judge found probable cause for Kesi to stand trial on the attempted murder charge before Vaipapa had died. Prosecutors will likely to seek a murder charge.

At the arraignment Monday, Judge Colette Garibaldi confirmed Kesi’s bail at $500,000. He remains incarcerated in the Oahu Community Correctional Center.

A trial has been scheduled for late December.

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