Halloween party shootout kills four at Airbnb rental in California

On the eve of the Halloweens, four people were killed and at least four were injured at a Halloween party that went horribly wrong in Orinda, Northern California. A woman rented a home through Airbnb, surrounded by trees and up a steep hill in the wealthy San Francisco suburb of Orinda, where more than 100 people had gathered for the Halloween party. The woman lied to the owners stating that she wanted to rent the home so her asthmatic family members could escape wildfire smoke. The woman told the owners that her family members needed a place with fresh air, though she rented the room for just one night.

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Owners were suspicious before giving the home on rent

At around 10.45 Pm, gunshots were reported killing four people in the shooting. Renting the room for a night seemed suspicious to the owners hence before giving the home on rent, the owners reminded the woman that no parties are allowed.

The renter, whose name and hometown have not been disclosed, told the homeowner that her family members had asthma and needed a place with fresh air. A giant wildfire burning in Sonoma County about 60 miles (97 kilometres) north of Orinda earlier in the week forced tens of thousands to evacuate and fouled the air over a wide area.

Another Halloween party mishap occurred in a rural area east of Salt Lake City in Utah which resulted in violence leaving two men dead. Reportedly, a 22-year-old man was fatally stabbed and a 23-year-old man was shot to death at the party near the town of Roosevelt where about 20 people were drinking.

Orinda, with a population of about 20,000, requires short-term rental hosts to register with the city annually and pay an occupancy tax. The maximum occupancy is two people per bedroom plus three people not assigned to bedrooms. Orinda City Manager Steve Solomon said the property was registered with the city as a short-term rental with a maximum occupancy of 13 people, as reported by an international daily.

(With inputs from AP)

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