Fifth person dead after Halloween party shooting at Airbnb rental
Orinda, Calif. – The Contra Costa County sheriff announced late Friday night that a fifth victim who was injured in a shooting at a Halloween party in Northern California has died. No one has been arrested.
The latest fatality was identified as 19-year-old Oshiana Tompkins, CBS SF Bay Area reported. The sheriff's office previously identified four other victims as 22-year-old Tiyon Farley, 24-year-old Omar Taylor, 23-year-old Ramon Hill Jr. and 29-year-old Javin County.
The FBI is assisting in the investigation into the shooting, and police are trying to piece together what happened at the party that was held in a mansion rented through AirBnB. Investigators found two guns in the house and are working to determine if they were used in the shooting.
The party in a quiet and wealthy suburb, Orinda, had been advertised on social media.
CBS SF Bay Area reported code enforcement officials had received numerous complaints about the property since it was registered as a short-term rental last November, including a complaint in February about large parties. The city sent the property owners, identified in property records as Wenlin Luo and Michael Young Wang, reminders about city regulations in March.
Another complaint was filed in July complaining about overflowing garbage bins, according to CBS SF Bay Area.
Complaints were also made on Thursday night. Neighbors called police at 9:19 p.m., sent an email to code enforcement at 9:35 p.m. and called police again at 10:25 p.m. An officer responded to the complaints at 10:48 p.m. and was en route when the shooting was reported.
Police declined to answer questions about the delay in response, CBS SF Bay Area reported.
While investigators have not made any arrests and have not been able to determine who the shooter or shooters were or why gunfire broke out at the party, police Chief David Cook said he did not believe there was any ongoing threat to the neighborhood.
"Orinda is a very small, very safe, very family-oriented community that is not accustomed to violence," he said.
Airbnb released a statement on Friday saying the home has been removed from listings during the investigation and that the guest who rented it would be banned from the platform. The company said the listing specifically forbid parties.
"We are horrified by this tragedy and are in close communication with Chief David Cook of Orinda Police to offer our support with his investigation into who committed this senseless violence," the company said.
"Our thoughts are with the loved ones of the victims of this abhorrent act as well as the neighbors of the home," Airbnb said.
Orinda Mayor Inga Miller said the City Council would likely re-visit the issue of short-term rentals at its next meeting on Tuesday. The city had already passed restrictions on the number of occupants allowed at short-term rentals like AirBnB, capping it at 13 people.
