2 dead, 5 shot during illegal chicken fight in Hawaii

MAILI, Hawaii — Two people were killed in a shooting early Sunday morning in Māʻili, Hawaii. Three others were injured.

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The Honolulu Police Department said officers were called about a chicken fight and shots that were fired, according to KHON.

“At the end of the fight a group of males started arguing and then it escalated to a physical altercation, at some point gunshots were fired hitting the five people who were in the immediate area,” Honolulu Police Department Lt. Deena Thoemmes said, according to the news outlet.

A 59-year-old woman and a 34-year-old man were pronounced dead at the hospital, KHON reported.

Three other men were taken to the hospital and have since been released, according to KITV.

Police said they are searching for a possible suspect described to be a man in his 20s who allegedly shot five people at the chicken fight, according to KHON.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting are unclear, The Associated Press reported.

Chicken fights or cockfighting is reportedly illegal in all 50 states but it does continue to happen in some states, according to the AP. Those states include Hawaii and can attract hundreds of people.