Unlike a club bar or restaurant, there is no one at the front door at house parties to check weapons and restrict entry and exit.
TEMPE, Ariz. — It’s a problem that has surfaced in many parts of the Valley: large gatherings and house parties that end in violent gunfights, often with people killed at the scene.
The latest incident occurred early Saturday morning in a Tempe neighborhood near University and Hardy drives.
Dozens of bullets were fired at a house rented through Airbnb for a Halloween party around 3:30 a.m., police said.
Within seconds, a barrage of bullets filled the neighborhood, as the sound of gunfire sent people jostling.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Police: Shots fired at Airbnb house party in Tempe, no injuries reported
Although it caught some off guard, the scene is not new for law enforcement across the valley, who have been trying to stop shootings at house parties and other big events.
“Strangers come, strangers gather, strangers argue, strangers get high, strangers end up shooting each other and everyone disperses,” said law enforcement expert Art Acevedo.
Acevedo has 35 years of law enforcement experience and served as chief of police in Houston, Miami and Austin. He said there was a combination of factors contributing to the House Party shootings in the Valley.
“You have all these people who have access to guns because of Arizona’s loose gun laws,” Acevedo said.
“You have people with guns, then you add people who use drugs and alcohol, and then there’s an abundance of short-term rentals with few regulations, and it’s a storm. perfect, perfect opportunity for these tragedies to happen.”
Many parties are said to be posted on social media sites, which brings in a large group of foreigners. Unlike a club bar or restaurant, there is no one at the front door at house parties to check weapons and restrict entry and exit.
“When you don’t have strict licensing requirements, when you don’t have good, solid oversight, it’s easy for these things to show up,” Acevedo said.
Justice can be hard to come by for families who have lost loved ones to violence at house parties. Despite having hundreds of witnesses available, Acevedo said resolving these cases was intense and required a lot of groundwork.
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Often witnesses to parties do not show up to share information, and there is often a lack of clues available to detectives.
“Unlike a commercial establishment where there are a lot of cameras, potentially automatic license plate readers,” Acevedo said. “There’s a lot of data that law enforcement can glean and sift through, sometimes you don’t have it at these parties and that makes it difficult.”
If you notice a party taking place in a short-term rental, he advised you to call the police immediately. Many rental homes are owned by out-of-state investment groups, but are monitored by local management groups.
“We’re not just talking about one or two houses or just one owner,” Acevedo said. “When you don’t have strict licensing requirements when you don’t have good, solid oversight, it’s easy for these things to show up.”
People who organize legitimate family reunions should not post or advertise on social media to prevent random strangers from appearing.
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