Two boys have been shot dead and eight others were injured when gunfire erupted in the early hours of Sunday at a party in Pittsburgh.
Police were alerted to the shooting at around 12.30am in the East Allegheny neighbourhood. Approximately 200 people, many of them juveniles, were at a party being held in an AirBnb property, according to a law enforcement statement.
Officers arrived to a chaotic scene with dozens of people fleeing the area on foot and in vehicles, and reports of shots being fired in other locations nearby.
The victims were transported to local hospitals where two male victims, both juveniles, were pronounced dead. Their names have not been released.
Eight others were injured by gunfire. Amid the panic some party-goers also jumped out of windows, sustaining broken bones and lacerations — at least five were injured in this way.
As many as 90 rounds were fired inside and outside of the property, according to a statement by Pittsburgh police spokesperson Cara Cruz.
The Mobile Crime Unit is processing evidence from at least eight separate crime scenes and detectives from the major crimes unit are speaking to witnesses and reviewing available video footage. No arrests have been made so far but police are expected to provide an update in the case around noon on Sunday.
At least two vehicles had windows shot out, including a DaVita dialysis van parked across the street from the scene and a Chevy Cruze, TribLive reports.
At the rental property, two windows were shattered and one hung open on the second floor. Less than a block away, another car, a Subaru Legacy, was smeared with blood.
The property is listed as owned by a local business, 900 North Group LLC. A representative could not be immediately reached for comment.
Contacted by The Independent, Airbnb provided the following statement: “We share the Pittsburgh community’s outrage regarding this tragic gun violence. Our hearts go out to all who were impacted — including loved ones of those who lost their lives, injured victims and neighbours.”
“Airbnb strictly bans parties, and we condemn the behaviour that is alleged to have prompted this criminal gun violence. The booking guest has been issued a lifetime ban from Airbnb and we will be considering all legal options to hold this person accountable,” the statement continues.
“We have reached out to the Pittsburgh Police Department as well as Mayor Gainey’s team to offer our support for their investigations, and we hope the people responsible for this bloodshed will be found quickly.”
This article has been updated to include the statement from Airbnb and the number of injured.
