A nighttime massacre at an Airbnb rental left five people injured, including a teenager, according to the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
The shooting started in the backyard around 3 a.m. and spread into the home on Arlingwood Avenue near Mill Creek Road on Dec. 20, the Sheriff’s Office said. An argument broke out at a party of about 20 people that led to the shooting. The five victims were two women in their early 20s who were shot in the thigh and arm, two men in their early 20s who were shot in the leg, and a 16-year-old who was shot in the back. The teen’s gender was not provided. No one suffered life-threatening injuries.
The shooter, a male, had no specific description as of the initial briefing from the Sheriff’s Office. Several people were detained to learn more.
The shootings come as Airbnb celebrates the fifth anniversary of its global ban on disruptive parties and will once again activate a nationwide ban on technology on New Year’s Eve.
This time last year, about 90 people in Jacksonville were blocked from booking entire homes on Airbnb, according to the rental company. Since the ban was introduced in 2020, the proportion of parties reported to Airbnb in Florida has dropped by 46%, and in 2024, 99.9% of bookings had no reports of party-related community disturbances.
Anyone with information about this case can contact the Sheriff’s Office at (904) 630-0500 or JSOCrimeTips@jaxsheriff.org. To remain anonymous and qualify for a reward from First Coast Crime Stoppers, call (866) 845-8477 (845-TIPS), text **8477 or email rewards@fccrimestoppers.com. Crime Stoppers recently increased the base reward to $5,000.
This article originally appeared in The Florida Times-Union: Night of massacre at Jacksonville Airbnb party ends with 5 gunshots
