Police are looking for two men in connection with the fatal shooting early yesterday in Chinatown of a 35-year-old man, who police say suffered multiple gunshot wounds as he tried to flee from his attackers.

Witnesses told police that the suspects used a shotgun and assault rifle, unloading about nine shots or more before driving away in a white sedan. The victim was shot in the back, and was pronounced dead at a trauma hospital.

"They shot him down like one animal," said a homeless man who lives in the area and witnessed the shooting. He said he hid when he saw the suspects screech to a halt on the street about 4:12 a.m. and get out of their car with guns in hand.

Shortly afterward, he heard rapid-fire gunshots and people yelling.

He called 911 when he saw the victim on the ground near the stop sign on Pauahi Street at the intersection with River Street. Police said the suspects shot the victim on Pauahi Street as he tried to run away. Witnesses said that the victim was with a group of men before the shooting, who scattered when shots were fired.

In addition to the two suspects in the shooting, who police described as a 21-year-old man and another man whose age was unknown, police are looking for the driver of the getaway car. Police said the suspected getaway car was found burned on Kaukonahua Road in Wahiawa about 5:30 a.m. yesterday.

The Chinatown shooting is at least the fifth homicide in the Islands this year, Advertiser records show.

A memorial with lei, flowers and a handwritten message was put up near the scene of the shooting yesterday. The memorial included a photo of the victim, along with a photo of a woman and a young child.

'SOLDIER BOY'

The message, written on a lined piece of paper with red marker, said, "Yo! there soldier boy. You are not gone. You are just sleeping. Will see you soon." The message also said, "We will always remember you." Nearby, someone had written "rest in peace" on a wall.

The Honolulu medical examiner's office had not released the victim's name late yesterday.

Several passersby stopped at the memorial yesterday afternoon, and many already knew what had happened. Though police tape around the crime scene had been taken down, a blood stain could still be spotted on the road.

The shooting comes as Chinatown residents and business owners are raising concerns about crime, including apparent drug dealing and gang-related activities.

Last month, police beefed up patrols in the area in response to complaints.

The police and city have also taken other measures to clamp down on drug dealing in areas of Chinatown. In May, the city took down trellises on River Street to deter criminal activity. Residents had reported tables under the trellises were hotbeds for gambling and drug dealing for years. When the trellises were dismantled, the tables were more easily seen.

The city has also banned any stopping, loading or parking in cars on a short section of Pauahi Street, just feet from where yesterday's shooting occurred. The tactic was designed to cut off drug trade in the area and move dealers away.

Anthony Marlin, vice chairman of the Downtown Neighborhood Board, said crime in Chinatown does appear to be getting worse and he worries that the work in recent years to revitalize the community will be lost if something isn't done soon.

"It's frightening," he said, of the shooting yesterday.

He added that an innocent bystander could have easily been caught in the crossfire of yesterday's shooting, and said the death should be a wake-up call for police and others to act. "It's right there. That's where a lot of people walk," he said, of Pauahi Street, pointing out the road is home to a host of apartments and shops.

Clayton Arnett, a minister who works in Chinatown, passed by the Puahi memorial yesterday and shook his head when he saw the photo of the man who died. He said more needs to be done to address crime in the area.

"Things are getting worse," he said.