22-year naval vet shot and killed after trying to enter the wrong house by mistake

A Pearl Harbor naval vet is dead all because he reportedly attempted to enter the wrong house — just yards from his own – by accident early Sunday morning.

What happened?

A neighbor of Chief Petty Officer John Ellsworth Hasselbrink, 41, shot and killed the Navy sumbariner outside of his Ewa Beach, Hawaii, home after Hasselbrink tried "to enter a residence other than his own by mistake," according to a police report obtained by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

The outlet noted that Hasselbrink's cause of death is an "apparent fatal gunshot wound," according to the Honolulu Police Department and Emergency Medical Services.

The Navy vet died at the scene.

The Associated Press reported that Hasselbrink was a veteran who served 22 years at Pearl Harbor.

The outlet reported that Hasselbrink, who joined the Navy in 1996, was assigned to the Virginia-class submarine USS Illinois.

According to the AP, Hasselbrink's shooter was arrested, but released on Monday without charges pending further investigation.

A statement from command noted their regrets in Hasselbrink's death, calling the incident a "tragic loss."

"Our sincerest condolences and prayers are extended to Chief Petty Officer Hasselbrink's shipmates, friends and family," the statement read. "He was a well-respected senior enlisted leader in the Pearl Harbor submarine community and his passing is a tragic loss to the U.S. Navy and the submarine force."

The 41-year-old Hasselbrink was divorced and had no children, according to the Star-Advertiser.

Anything else?

According to defense attorney Myles Breiner, who spoke to KITV-TV, residents of Hawaii reserve the right to "defend themselves with deadly force" in some circumstances.

"You have the right to defend yourself from serious bodily injury and imminent harm," Breiner told KITV. "The key is the perception of the person under threat."

KITV reported that under Hawaii state law, a citizen must "retreat" before using deadly force, if possible, unless at your home or workplace.

"Based on our statute, if you reasonably believe there is imminent harm to you, or your property you don't have to retreat," he explained. "If you think the person coming through the door is going to hurt you, then you have the right to use deadly force."