At around 1:00 am this morning in Makiki, neighbors were awoken by breaking glass, a barking dog, and gunshots. A woman shouted “No, no, help, help, no!”, more gunshots. A man’s voice. A gunshot, then an eerie silence.
A woman, teenage girl and a man were found dead by gunshot wounds in an apparent double murder suicide. The murder victims were Christine Cass and her 13-year old daughter Saundra Cass, an eighth grader at Sacred Hearts School.
According to KHON news, “Friends identified the shooter as 43-year old Clayborne Conley, who met Christine several months ago. Conley had served tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder.”
KHON reports that Conley was pursuing a relationship with Cass. Apparently, he visited her workplace unannounced several times in the last few weeks and had visited her house earlier in the day.
This is one of the human costs of the wars. But Christine, Saundra and Clayborne will not be counted among the casualties of those wars.
I knew Saundra, and went to see her several times in Austin, Tx. when she was visiting her father, Michael Cass and his wife Oli. I only felt love in that household, and loved Saundra so much. She touched our lifes so much. We were there for one of her birthday pary, and so how much her dad and his wife loved her. I know she did not see them for two years, and don’t know the details, but our heart goes out to them and their families. Actually, Saundra, has 4 half siblings, and I am sure they are heart broken too. God Bless and rest their souls. God Bless Oli and Michael, the father, as well. BB and family. Our family is so heartbroken..