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Neighbors called Orinda rental home the 'Party House,' Airbnb promises change, says "this is unacceptable"

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Updated  November 2, 2019 6:28pm PDT
Orinda
KTVU FOX 2

Orinda neighbor says she will move following shooting that killed five

KTVU's Leigh Martinez reports from Orinda.

ORINDA, Calif. - It was a Halloween nightmare, and it happened inside an Airbnb rental. 

A house on Lucille Way, near Knickerbocker Lane and Spring Road just off of Highway 24 in Orinda was the scene of a large party Thursday night that ended with a shooting. 

The Contra Costa County Sheriff's department has identified five victims killed:

  • 19-year-old Oshiana Tompkins of Vallejo/Hercules
  • 22-year-old Tiyon Farley of Antioch
  • 24-year-old Omar Taylor of Pittsburg
  • 23-year-old Ramon Hill Jr. of San Francisco/Oakland
  • 29-year-old Javin County of Sausalito/Richmond. 

Neighbors say they are stunned and scared. 

Neighbors called Orinda rental home the ‘party house’

As law enforcement, including the FBI, begin their investigation of the deadly Halloween-party shooting at an Orinda Airbnb rental home, we're learning neighbors knew the location as the 'party house'.

"We've tolerated this, the neighbors have. They told me about this party house when I first moved in," said James Hampton, a neighbor. .  

This so-called party house in the quiet Oak Springs area of Orinda was a crime scene for more than 20 hours Friday.

Neighbors said the owner has always used the home as a short term rental and there have been previous parties there. While they have been noisy, none have been deadly, until now. 

On Thursday night, a KTVU crew was at the scene when multiple young people were leaving the party. Some were injured. 

Orinda Police said there were more than 100 people at the party from all over the Bay Area.

Multiple shots were fired, waking up one neighbor who called 9-1-1.

"I saw a lot of kids running in front of my house, run to the backside of my house," said neighbor Thanh Nguyen who lives two doors down.  

"When officers arrived, it was a very chaotic scene. There was a lot of noise, yelling and people running," said Orinda Police Chief David Cook.   

The event was advertised on social media as an Airbnb mansion party. 

Screenshot of a post about a "mansion party" at a home in Orinda where five were killed.

In addition to the five people killed, authorities say multiple people were injured.  

"This is a complex investigation. There was a wide area and a lot of people involved," said Police Chief Cook. 

He said crime scene technicians and the FBI were on scene to piece together what happened and why, including how many suspects are involved.

Nguyen said police searched around his property, "They walk around front and back, all the way around the house to make sure nobody there." 

Investigators said two firearms were found inside the house and that they're analyzing them to see if they were used in the shooting.   

Police said they received noise complaints about the house at 9:19 and 10:25 Thursday night and that officers were in route at 10:48 when they received reports of the shooting.

"It's almost like it's surreal. It doesn't happen in my neighborhood," Hampton who calls it Mayberry.  He and others say their sense of security now shattered.

"I'm worried. How am I supposed to sleep? I don't lock the door," said Hampton. . 

Police said they are not ready to release any suspect information, but said there is no threat to neighbors because it appears the people involved are not from Orinda and have left the area.

AIRBNB RESPONDS:

Airbnb responds to Orinda shooting, promises changes

In a series of tweets, the Airbnb Co-founder called the incident completely unacceptable.

On Saturday, Co-Founder of Airbnb Brian Chesky took to Twitter to address the killings in Orinda, saying in part "we must do better, and we will. This is unacceptable."