South Bay House Party Shooting: Police Union Responds To Backlash

SUNNYVALE, CA — The Sunnyvale police union defended their officers’ actions in responding to a large house party with between 150 and 200 attendees at a South Bay Airbnb, where a shooting Saturday night left one person dead and another injured .

In an unsigned statement posted on the website of the Sunnyvale Public Safety Officers Association on Tuesday, the union pushed back on residents who wanted officers to “charge in the house with our ‘weapons’ to clear out the party” because “that approach would put the party participants, the officers, and the other neighbors in immediate danger.”

“Our officers had no way to know that a multiple-person shooting would take place, and we cannot assume that one will occur without any evidence as it would lead to panic and potentially aggressive responses from attendees,” the union said. “Sometimes, allowing more time to ensure we have the necessary resources is the best choice.”

Airbnb said in a statement via ABC7 that the host banned parties in her house rules and that the party was unauthorized. The company has deactivated the listing as it investigates the incident.

Before the shooting, officers had responded about 10:20 p.m. to reports of loud music at the home in the 1400 block of Navarro Drive. They found 150 to 200 people, many aged 16 to 19 years old, Sunnyvale police said.

While the officers were waiting for additional resources and trying to identify the home's owner, they heard shots fired, police said.

Two victims, both adults, were found with gunshot wounds and the officers started emergency medical treatment.

The victims were taken to a hospital in San Jose, where one died.

Police did not release a motive in the shooting. On Monday, the Santa Clara County Medical Examiner's office announced the name of the deceased as 18-year-old Elias Elhania.

The police union said that two officers responded to the party and determined that they wouldn’t be able to enter the home and disperse the event without risking “several dangerous scenarios” with “visibly intoxicated participants.” The statement compared shutting down the party to trying to close down a large downtown bar ahead of last call.

“Sunnyvale Public Safety Officers do not approach crowd dispersal as a weapons/force first approach,” the union said. “Rather, we would attempt to safely engage the participants and work on a methodical, organized dispersal process.”

Read the full statement here.

Bay City News contributed to this report.

To donate to a GoFundMe for Elias Elhania's, click here.