Bath Township, OH — Airbnb has issued a statement following a mass shooting at an unauthorized house party that left nine people injured in Bath Township over the weekend. The company condemned the violence and confirmed that it had permanently removed the account of the individual who booked the rental property in violation of its policies.
“We are heartbroken by this senseless act of gun violence, and our thoughts are with the injured victims and all those affected by it,” Airbnb said in a statement to ABC News. “Unauthorized and disruptive gatherings are strictly prohibited on Airbnb and our Safety team acted immediately to remove the account of the individual who deliberately broke those rules by booking this stay.”
Airbnb Confirms Ban and Ongoing Investigation
Airbnb added that it is cooperating with Bath Township Police, providing support for the investigation and assisting law enforcement efforts to identify those responsible.
“Our law enforcement response team is in contact with the chief of Bath Township Police Department to assist their ongoing investigation to ensure those responsible for this terrible incident are brought to justice,” the company said.
The incident marked the second shooting at an Airbnb rental in Bath Township since July 2017, according to Bath Township Police Chief Michael Sinopoli. He said a previous incident involved a drive-by shooting during a party in which a man was shot in the leg.
Renewed Focus on Airbnb’s Safety Technology
The shooting occurred just days after Airbnb announced it had expanded its AI-powered “anti-party” technology across the United States and Canada ahead of Halloween weekend.
According to ABC News, the company said the system uses machine learning to identify potential high-risk bookings based on several factors, including:
- Length of the reservation
- Distance between the guest and listing location
- Property type and timing of booking
- Last-minute requests or holiday-related reservations
The AI tools are designed to detect and block bookings that pose a “party risk,” particularly around major events and holidays.
Fifth Year of Anti-Party Protections
This year marks Airbnb’s fifth consecutive year implementing Halloween-specific safety protocols. In 2023, these measures prevented 38,000 people in the U.S. and 6,300 in Canada from booking entire homes during the Halloween weekend.
Airbnb first introduced its global party ban in 2022 following a series of violent incidents, including shootings linked to unauthorized gatherings.
“Strong policies must be complemented by strong enforcement,” Airbnb said at the time. “We’ve introduced a number of anti-party measures in recent years to enforce our policy and stop both unauthorized parties and chronic party houses.”
Ongoing Community Concerns
Local residents have expressed growing concern about the frequency of violent incidents connected to short-term rentals. Police say they continue to review footage and interview witnesses as part of the ongoing investigation.
Officials reiterated that Airbnb’s cooperation has been essential in helping identify those involved in Sunday’s shooting. No fatalities have been reported, but nine people were hospitalized with varying injuries.
The company maintains that unauthorized gatherings remain strictly prohibited under its platform’s terms of service and that hosts and guests violating those policies face permanent suspension.
What are your thoughts on Airbnb’s response and its efforts to prevent such incidents? Share your views in the comments below.
