CINCINNATI – One person was shot, and police arrested another suspect after roughly 50 shots rang out during a gun battle at a large short-term rental party in Cincinnati overnight, police say.
The gunfire struck the shooting victim in the shoulder, and he drove himself to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, according to a police supervisor.
He is expected to recover, the lieutenant confirmed.
Bullets started flying around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday at the short-term rental on Vine Street and West Nixon Street in Corryville.
Police say they found multiple shell casings outside the residence, which sits near the University of Cincinnati and across the street from the Department of Veterans Affairs.
ShotSpotter detected “around 50 shots” being fired, the lieutenant said.
Councilman Mark Jeffreys, who sits on the city’s Housing and Growth Committee, says whoever pulled the trigger should face the consequences.
“I think the people that did this should be fully accountable,” Jeffreys emphasized. “Fifty rounds in the middle of the city? Unthinkable.”
But Jeffreys says the focus shouldn’t end with the people involved in the shooting. He thinks the city should also take immediate action involving the rental itself while investigators sort out what happened.
“I think for sure their permit should be suspended until we figure out what the right next steps are,” Jeffreys said. “They should be taken off the platform to make sure this isn’t a nuisance property.”
Airbnb confirms this location was not associated with an Airbnb booking.
Shots exchanged from porch, inside house
The preliminary investigation determined that most of the shots came from the front porch of the short-term rental home, and someone inside the house returned fire, according to the lieutenant.
Police took a woman into custody over a concealed weapon violation, but she is not a shooting suspect, according to the police supervisor.
The suspect remains at large.
This marks the latest incident in what is now a pattern of gunshots ringing out at short-term rental parties locally, statewide and nationally.
Two local incidents remain under investigation: an after-prom party in Liberty Township on May 3, and another in Anderson Township on the early morning of June 27.
City of Cincinnati allows short-term rentals
The city of Cincinnati allows short-term rentals like Airbnb, with some restrictions.
They are permitted as long as operators comply with the city’s regulations, including registering their rental before hosting guests and obtaining a permit, according to the city’s website.
The registration fee is $250 and is valid for three years.
Operators are required to collect and pay a 7% excise tax on gross revenue, city records show.
If you list exclusively on Airbnb, the platform will collect and remit this tax on your behalf; for other platforms, hosts must report it directly to the city.
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