A contractor aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii spotted two suspected poachers at a training area early Tuesday morning, one carrying a knife and the other a long gun, which resulted in an hourslong, multi-department search for the individuals, according to a statement from an installation spokesperson.
The alleged trespassing coincided with reports of “shots fired” at the training area, which apparently did not originate from Marines training on the base, according to the spokesperson. Range control ceased training in the area, which is called Marine Corps Training Area Bellows, or MCTAB, to allow law enforcement to respond.
Bellows Air Force Station, or BAFS, security forces; the Honolulu Police Department; and other base law enforcement were contacted. A special reaction team and military working dog team were dispatched to the training area to locate the poachers, but none was found.
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“A perimeter search of the fence line was conducted and revealed no damage or signs of the poachers,” 1st Lt. John O’Hara, the installation spokesman, told Military.com in a statement Wednesday. “A broader search of MCTAB was completed as well, but the reported poachers were not found.”
Officials described the pair as a man carrying a knife and a woman carrying a long gun. Notably, FBI personnel who were training aboard Marine Corps Base Hawaii became aware…
