Police in Texas said shots were fired as they broke up a party of up to 800 teens and young adults who swarmed an Airbnb rental property north of Dallas.
The owner of the home in Celina told KDFW that “somebody booked it” on Airbnb while claiming to need the property “for a party of seven people.” However, after the event was over, Kishore Karlapudi said he discovered that his home was trashed.
“We were totally shocked, and they damaged the property, you know. They took all the furniture out from the living space, and they put it in the garage,” he told KDFW. “They took all the wall fixtures, everything out. They broke the wall fixture. They broke, the island was broken. The granite countertop was broken because it looks like kids danced on those.”
“We started getting the 911 calls with the shots fired. We also got a call that there was 10 men at the front gate, and they had guns, and they were threatening to kill someone. So, this, of course, amped our officers up just a bit to make sure we go inside and keep everybody safe,” Celina Police Chief John Cullison also said to the station. “But it wasn’t until they went inside and they actually realized how vast this party was.”
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Cullison said his department responded to calls “about a large gathering at a residence in the 800 block of Choate Parkway” on Saturday.
“This incident multiplied in numbers due to a social media post advertising a party, which attracted between 500-800 teens and young adults to the location,” he added in a message posted to Facebook. “Celina police officers quickly responded and conducted proactive enforcement to ensure the safety of those in attendance and for residents in the surrounding community. One individual was arrested for Driving Under the Influence (minor), and another was taken into custody on an active Aggravated Assault warrant out of Dallas County Sheriff’s Office.”
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“Officers remained in the area following that initial contact. As the crowd began to disperse, multiple gunshots were heard in the vicinity of the residence,” Cullison continued. “Police immediately responded, entered the home, and conducted a thorough search to locate any potential victims. I want to emphasize that, despite the alarming nature of the situation, officers did not locate any individuals injured as a result of gunfire.”
Cullison told KDFW that his officers found damage inside the home, including bloodstained sheets and towels.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, an Airbnb spokesperson said, “Airbnb has a strict ban on disruptive parties,” and, “The actions of the booking guest are in direct breach of the rules we have in place that aim to help reduce the risk of disruptive parties and support communities.
“We are in touch with Chief Cullison to offer support for the Celina Police Department’s investigation. We’re working closely to support the host and have suspended the booking guest from the platform,” the spokesperson added, noting that the listing had no prior reports to Airbnb of neighbor complaints or parties in the five years it has been on the website.
Police also released a dashcam video showing officers racing toward the scene as partygoers left the area.
