Nine people injured in mass shooting at Ohio party held in Airbnb | Ohio
Early Sunday, nine people were injured when gunfire opened at a large rental house where young people had gathered for a birthday party promoted on social media. Police said the situation in northeast Ohio was chaotic as some people fled and first responders took life-saving measures.
The shooting occurred around 12:15 local time in Bath Township, about 15 miles northwest of Akron.
It was one of at least 365 mass shootings (the cases involved four or more victims) in the U.S. this year, as of Sunday, according to a nonpartisan organization. Gun Violence Archive. The high number of mass shootings each year in the United States has led many to call for more serious gun control; but Congress has been largely unwilling or unable to address this issue.
At a press conference Sunday morning, police Chief Vito Sinopoli said the severity of the victims’ injuries was unclear. It is also unclear whether all nine people were shot; He said one person’s leg injury may have been caused by a fall.
The large house was rented through Airbnb, which is not allowed under local zoning regulations, and most of the people at the party were under 18, Sinopoli said. He said the victims could include teenagers and adults. He said social media posts about the party drew a large crowd.
He said it was not immediately known what led to the shooting and how many people opened fire. No arrests have been announced.
Airbnb said Sunday it was banning “unauthorized and disruptive gatherings,” suspending property listings and removing the account of the person renting the home. It said that since 2020, when it implemented its global party ban policy, it had seen a 50% drop in reported partying.
The company said it was cooperating with the police investigation and said, “We are heartbroken by this senseless act of gun violence and our thoughts are with the injured victims and everyone affected.”
Sinopoli said a man was injured in a leg wound in 2017 in another attack on an Airbnb rental in the city.
Sinopoli said he spoke with the property owner about the shooting and discussed the town’s ban on short-term rentals. He said that renting a house is not a crime, it is just a zoning violation.
