Deadly Sunnyvale house party shooting was at Airbnb rental, police confirm
SUNNYVALE, Calif. (KGO) -- "I remember one girl running up and she was sobbing saying somebody got shot somebody got hit!"
Neighbors reacting to a Sunnyvale shooting that left one person dead and another in the hospital Saturday night.
"We saw a bunch of kids walking that looked definitely like minors and holding alcohol in various states of consciousness," neighbor Henry Alexander III said.
Police have confirmed that Saturday night's Sunnyvale shooting happened at a house party that was an Airbnb rental and had been rented out.
RELATED: Airbnb to ban one-night rentals on Halloween weekend to crack down on party houses
One person was killed and another was injured at that house party that police say had more than 150 attendees. Some even telling us that advertisements for the party were posted on social media.
Police say they responded just after 10 p.m. to the 1400 block of Navarro Drive for a music disturbance. The party had an estimated 150 to 200 people, many between the ages of 16 and 19.
"I even overheard some people saying that they were going to go to the party but they saw so many people they never went in," neighbor Jeff Gragg said.
The shooting is the latest to happen at a home rented out on Airbnb. You may remember Halloween of 2019 when five people were killed in Orinda. That prompted Airbnb to eventually put a ban on so called, "party houses." We reached out to Airbnb concerning this rental but have yet to hear back. City officials want answers.
RELATED: Rival gangs involved in 'bloodbath' at Airbnb in Orinda: Sheriff
"I want to know what is legally possible for us to restrict and require from a safety perspective of Airbnb," Sunnyvale City Councilmember Mason Fong said.
Some though that we talked with say even with restrictions, anything can happen.
"It just seems like anytime you have a short-term rental you're going to be vulnerable to something like this happening," says Gragg.
"It's nothing you would ever imagine in this sleepy little neighborhood, it was totally unnecessary and didn't have to happen," says Alexander III.
RELATED: Airbnb responds to another Bay Area unauthorized party caught on Ring security camera
While on scene, officers heard gunshots and located two adult victims.
One of the victims died at the hospital.
Police say the second person shot is expected to survive and is in surgery as of Sunday morning.
Police have not detailed a motive or whether a suspect has been arrested. No suspect description has been released
The victims have not been identified by police.
Airbnb released the following statement:
Airbnb bans parties, and we condemn the senseless gun violence that took place in Sunnyvale. Our dedicated Safety team is urgently working to support those impacted by this tragedy, and we are working with the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety to offer our assistance with their investigation.
Background
- This Host bans parties in her House Rules, and this was an unauthorized party -- meaning it was thrown without the knowledge or consent of the Host.
- We have deactivated the listing as we investigate this incident.
- See here for everything we do to try to stop parties -- including our bans on parties and party houses, systems to try to block or cancel potentially risky bookings, and our Neighborhood Support Line: https://news.airbnb.com/furthering-our-commitment-to-trust-and-safety/
