Halloween horror...five killed at California house party

ORINDA, Calif. (AP) — A woman who rented the San Francisco Bay Area home where five people were killed at a Halloween party shooting misled to the owner, police and a person with knowledge of the transaction have claimed.

According to the person with knowledge of the transaction, the woman told the owner of the house she wanted to use it to keep family members away from the smoke caused by a wildfire.

The four-bedroom home was rented through Airbnb after the woman told the owner that a dozen family members had asthma and needed to escape smoke from a fire in Sonoma County, the source told The Associated Press.

But police say the house was being used for a Halloween party that was advertised on social media.

Witnesses described hearing gunfire and seeing chaos erupt as some 100 terrified partygoers fled the home Thursday night in Orinda.

Orinda is a quiet and wealthy suburb about 15 miles from San Francisco that has seen only two previous killings this century, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

When the chaos ended, the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office said Tiyon Farley, 22, Omar Taylor, 24, Ramon Hill Jr., 23, Javin County, 29, and Oshiana Tompkins, 19, were pronounced dead at area hospitals.

Other people were wounded by gunshots or injured in the panic that followed, authorities confirmed.

The police disclosed that two guns were found at the property, but said no arrests have been made and there was no immediate word on a motive for the attack.

One person who was at the party indicated that he was enjoying the music and watching people dance when he heard shots and saw people running.

The screaming seemed to last forever, said Devan, who asked that his last name be withheld because he feared for his safety.

“Everybody started running, scrambling. People were just collapsing and friends were helping friends. It was a scary situation and then as everyone is panicking and stuff, there were more shots,” Devan said.

He shot a video which was posted to Instagram showing a wounded man on the ground and a police officer standing over him and a woman saying she needs to go to the hospital “because my hand’s been blown off.”

On Friday, police tape surrounded the block as people came to collect their cars and other belongings.

One woman in tears told reporters the father of her child had been killed. She left before giving her name.

Romond Reynolds picked up the car of his son, 24-year-old Armani Reynolds, who he said was left comatose by the shooting.

“All I know is that he’s a victim and was at the wrong place at the wrong time,” Reynolds said.

The owner was suspicious of a one-night rental on Halloween and before agreeing, reminded the renter that no parties were allowed, said the person with knowledge of the transaction, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The owner, Michael Wang, said his wife reached out to the renter Thursday night after neighbours contacted them about the party.

According to his account, the renter said there were only a dozen people at the home, but Wang said he could see more people on video from his doorbell camera.

“We called the police. They were on the way to go there to stop them, but before we got there the neighbour already sent us a message saying there was a shooting,” he told the Chronicle.

Airbnb spokesman Ben Breit said the company is “urgently investigating” what happened.

Airbnb has since banned the female renter from its platform and the home has been removed as a listing, Breit said.

We want to hear from you! Send us a message on WhatsApp at 1-876-499-0169, email us at editors@gleanerjm.com or onlinefeedback@gleanerjm.com.