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The shooting happened at around 12:15 a.m. in Bath Township,
about 15 miles (24 kilometers) northwest of Akron.
At a Sunday morning news conference, Police Chief Vito Sinopoli
said the seriousness of the victims' injuries was not clear. It
also was not immediately clear if all nine people were shot —
one person's leg injury may have been caused by a fall, he said.
Sinopoli said the large home had been rented out on Airbnb,
which is not allowed under local zoning ordinances, and most of
the people at the party were under 18. He said the victims may
include a mix of juveniles and adults. Social media posts about
the party drew a big crowd, he said.
It was not immediately known what sparked the shooting and how
many people fired guns, he said. No arrests were announced.
“The Bath Township community experienced a tragic and senseless
act of violence early this morning," Sinopoli said.
Airbnb said in a statement Sunday that it prohibits
“unauthorized and disruptive gatherings," and it has suspended
the property listing and removed the account of the person who
rented the home. It said it has seen a 50% decrease in the rate
of reported parties since 2020, when it put into effect a global
party ban policy.
“We are heartbroken by this senseless act of gun violence, and
our thoughts are with the injured victims and all those affected
by it," the company said, adding that it was cooperating with
the police investigation.
Sinopoli said another shooting at an Airbnb rental home in town
in 2017 wounded a person, who suffered a leg injury.
“It’s pretty much an indicator that no community is immune from
violence, and this happened to be in Bath Township again
unfortunately,” he said.
Sinopoli said he talked with the property owner about the
shooting and discussed the town's prohibition against short-term
home rentals. He said home rentals are not a crime, only a
zoning violation.
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