A suspect has been arrested in connection with the Aug. 7 shooting at a rental house in Sunnyvale, where a loud party of teenagers caught the attention of police before the shooting even happened.
The Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety announced Thursday the arrest of Sean Andrew James Jr., 18, a resident of Sunnyvale. James would be 17 at the time of the shooting and he was convicted of one count of murder and one count of attempted murder at Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall.
A Sunnyvale DPS news release said that during James’ arrest at a home on Aster Avenue in Sunnyvale, “several handguns and ammunition were recovered.”
The illegal Aug. 7 party, advertised on social media, drew an estimated 150 to 200 teenagers and was reportedly started by high school students in San Jose. This happened in an Airbnb rental with an out-of-state owner, on Navarro Drive in Sunnyvale.
The shooting happened shortly after police arrived at 10:20 p.m. Officers were waiting nearby for reinforcements and trying to find the owner of the house, after receiving noise complaints from neighbors – who saw crowds of drunken teenagers congregate at home. Police heard gunshots and immediately entered the scene to find an injured victim and Elias Elhania, 18, of San Jose, dead.
Shootings at house parties held in short-term rentals and advertised on social media are becoming all too common. A similar incident that resulted in the deaths of five people occurred at a Halloween party in Orinda in 2019, which had been dubbed a “mansion party” in social media posts.
Another shooting at a house party occurred in Sacramento County in August 2020, after which Airbnb sued against the guest who booked the house.
Airbnb filed a similar lawsuit in the Sunnyvale case, two weeks after that shooting.
The case also raised issues with the home’s owner, who neighbors said rented the home on Airbnb for several years while living out of state. The house was not listed on Sunnyvale’s short-term rental registry.
The owner had indicated in the house listing that parties were not allowed.
Related: Airbnb sues guest who hosted Sunnyvale house party that ended in shooting
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