Gunfire erupts at party at Airbnb in Millbrae

MILLBRAE, Calif. (KGO) -- People in Millbrae are demanding answers after a party at an Airbnb turned violent. The home at the center of the controversy is on a private lane off Madera Way.

Next door neighbor Paul Larson told ABC7 News people started arriving in groups, by car and on foot, last Saturday afternoon.

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He became suspicious that a large party might be afoot, especially after a large BBQ was delivered by truck. He said he called police to report loud music and other noise.

But, when San Mateo County sheriff's deputies arrived, they said there was nothing they could do. Police were called a second time, but again, could not take action.

Larson said the party continued into Sunday morning -- his home surveillance cameras captured people continuing to come and go. He said it also appeared a vehicle was shuttling people up and down the street.

Then, around 1:45 a.m., gunfire rang out. Larson said he heard eight shots.

He said he then saw people running from the house.

A Sheriff's Office spokesperson said they received several reports of shots fired and deputies responded. They were not able to detain any party-goers but they did collect evidence, including shell casings, at the scene. The investigation is ongoing.

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Larson said he saw the inside of the house Sunday. He said it was a disgusting mess -- and it smelled like something he couldn't describe.

The mayor of Millbrae said anyone operating a short-term rental needs to have a business license. She said the homeowner, in this case, did not.

Moving forward, the mayor said the city will be considering stricter guidelines for short-term rentals. The issue will be taken up at the May 8th city council meeting.

ABC7 News could not reach the homeowner for comment. It appears she lives out of the country.

Airbnb released the following statement to ABC7 News:There have been over 300 million guest arrivals in Airbnb listings to date; negative incidents are extremely rare. We have zero tolerance for this type of behavior and have permanently banned the guest from our platform, reached out to local authorities to offer our assistance, and are in contact with city officials about this situation.

Regarding the neighbors that were impacted, we are ready and willing to support them under our Host Protection Insurance program which will cover property damage that resulted from this incident. Additionally, if a neighbor has a concern about a specific listing, they can go to airbnb.com/neighbors to share specific concerns they might have about a listing in their community. Hosting is a big responsibility and those who fail to meet our standards and expectations will be subject to suspension or removal. The safety of our community is our priority.

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