HONOLULU -- Hiro Uyesugi remembers his son losing his temper only once during 15 years at the Xerox Corp., when he kicked an elevator door a few years ago and had to undergo anger management counseling.
But nothing in Byran Uyesugi's history hinted at the bloodshed that erupted at Xerox's offices on Tuesday, when police say he walked into a second-floor meeting room and shot seven co-workers to death.Uyesugi fled in a company van, but surrendered to police after a five-hour standoff. A search of his home found 11 handguns, five rifles and two shotguns owned by the former Roosevelt High School rifle team member.
"I'm going to bring him another gun so he can shoot himself," an anguished Hiro Uyesugi snapped when questioned by reporters.
The nation's latest episode of workplace violence was the worst tragedy in the company's history and the worst mass murder in Hawaii's history. It was a stunning blow in a state with just 24 murders last year and an enduring reputation as America's paradise.
"You would never think it would happen at your workplace. You hear it all around," said Andy De Leon, a Xerox employee. "But this is too close, way too close."
Uyesugi, 40, was expected to be arraigned Wednesday. Because multiple deaths were involved, he will likely face a first-degree murder charge, punishable by a mandatory sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole. Hawaii has no death penalty.
Uyesugi, who fixed copiers at Xerox, was clad in a green Hawaii print shirt when he entered the building shortly after 8 a.m. KITV-TV, citing unidentified sources, said Uyesugi was on his way to a meeting when he shot two men, missed a third and then shot five more.
"We all heard this banging noise, like a hammer hitting on a piece of metal," De Leon said. "We didn't think anything of it then. Then all of a sudden a boss called out and said, 'Follow us' and we started running out.
"Someone asked what happened and he said somebody got shot upstairs."
Uyesugi left the building and waved goodbye to another co-worker before driving off.
Five victims were slain in a conference room and two other bodies were found nearby. All had been shot with a 9 mm handgun at close range, authorities said. Police found 20 9 mm shell casings at the scene.
The victims were identified as Melvin Lee, 58; Ron Kawamae, 54; Ron Kataoka, 50; Peter Mark, 46; Ford Kanehira, 41; John Sakamoto, 36; and Jason Balatico, 33.
Uyesugi and the company van were spotted by a jogger at a nature park overlooking downtown. After hours of negotiations with authorities, he finally surrendered.
"Like all of us at Xerox, you undoubtedly have the question, 'Why? How could this have happened?" Xerox Hawaii general manager Glenn Sexton said. "Perhaps we'll never know."
Uyesugi lived on Easy Street with his father and brother, raising fish in backyard tanks and collecting guns.
Neighbors described him as "a good boy" and "a real nice kid."
However, he was convicted of drunken driving in 1985. He was named in a criminal property damage complaint in 1993 when he threatened a supervisor and damaged the elevator door, KITV-TV reported.
Police would not comment on a motive. But Mayor Jeremy Harris said it appeared "as though it was a disgruntled employee who snapped."
"It's a shock for all of us. We have such a safe community with almost no violent crime," Harris said. "To have someone snap like this and murder seven people is just absolutely appalling."