One Dead; One Wounded After Gunfire Erupts At Sunnyvale House Party
SUNNYVALE (KPIX) -- One person was killed and another was wounded late Saturday night after gunfire erupted at a house party in an otherwise quiet Sunnyvale neighborhood, police confirmed Sunday.
The house party, which was advertised on social media, was located at what neighbors described as a short-term rental on Navarro Drive.
At 10:19 p.m., officers with the Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety responded the residence and found an estimated 150 to 200 teenagers at the home. In a press release authorities confirmed officers were on scene but were waiting for additional resources and were trying to identify the homeowner when the shooting happened.
Henry Alexander, a former Sunnyvale Parks and Recreation commission chairman who lives on Navarro Drive told KPIX that officers told him their hands were tied until they could get more officers on scene because they were understaffed to respond to a party that large.
"They need to be held accountable," Alexander said. "If they had just gone in and just said something to those kids... I get it they were maybe afraid for what might have happened but look what happened."
Henry's wife, Michelle Alexander, said she didn't feel protected as the large crowd dispersed into the suburban neighborhood. Police estimate the teens were as young as 16.
"I asked them (officers) if they could do something and they said they couldn't," Michelle Alexander said.
It's unclear what led to the shooting at the house party, which was advertised on social media, but one neighbor who attended said the high school teens seemed happy and that it was "weird" it had taken a deadly turn.
The resident, who wanted to remain anonymous, said the home is known to be rented out to construction or contract workers and is unoccupied between rentals.
Sunnyvale city council member Mason Fong, who happens to live a street away, called 911 when he heard the late-night chaos spill onto his block. He said the activity was abnormal for the neighborhood and something didn't appear right with the teens he spotted.
"It was five minutes straight of cars driving and music playing and people walking," Fong said. "I definitely saw a group of kids that definitely seemed like they were fleeing something so that was very concerning." He said that he would be looking into police response as well as whether the city has short-term rental laws.
"I would want to see what we can change in order to prevent this, if anything," Fong said.
KPIX reached out to the short-term rental company neighbors have claimed the home is listed under but has not received a response.
Meanwhile, neighbors say they're shocked and question the homeowner, the short-term rental company as well as the parents of the teens who attended the house party.
"I don't want to say what's right, what's wrong but, you know, still kids are going to get out," said Chris Figone. "You got to pay attention to them."
The identity of the shooting victim has not been released but has been described as an adult. No other details were released about a suspect or of an arrest.
The shooting remains under investigation. Anyone with additional information about the case is encouraged to call Detective Corrine Abernathy at (408) 730-7134.