Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami on altercation at Kapa‘a HS football game

Published on October 27, 2026

Mayor Derek S.K. Kawakami issues the following statement regarding the altercation at the Kapa‘a High School homecoming football game against Waimea High School on Saturday, October 24:

"What happened at Saturday’s football game is unacceptable and not who we are as a Kaua‘i community. A high school football game should be a place where our students can compete, our families can come together, and our community can show its support for one another. Instead, we saw violence break out among players and spectators, along with a reported threat involving a firearm. This is deeply concerning and has no place at our schools or anywhere on our island.

We can be passionate about our schools, proud of our teams, and competitive on the field while still treating one another with respect. Our keiki are watching us, and the example we set matters. We have a responsibility to show them how to handle disagreements, how to respect others, and how to represent our schools and our island with pride.

Kaua‘i is built on aloha, respect, and looking out for one another. We cannot allow a youth sporting event to become a place where people fear for their safety. I urge everyone in our community, especially our parents and adults, to help set the right example and hold one another accountable. We can disagree, compete, and cheer for our teams without losing sight of our shared responsibility to keep our children and our community safe."

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