A four-bedroom Airbnb near the Collin College — Celina campus turned into a scene out of a bad teen movie last Saturday night, when a party that drew an estimated 500 to 800 young people ended with gunfire and arrests, according to police. Officers say they heard multiple shots as the massive crowd broke up. No one was found injured, but the homeowner says the property was left damaged and has been pulled from short-term rental sites while repairs are made.
Chief John Cullison told CBS News Texas that officers first responded to reports of a large gathering at the home in the 800 block of Choate Parkway. One teenager was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence, and another person at the scene was taken into custody on an active aggravated assault warrant. Cullison said officers heard several gunshots as the crowd scattered, but a search of the area turned up no shooting victims.
Owner Says Rental Was Misused And Trashed
Property owner Kishore Karlapudi told The Dallas Express he believed he had rented the home to a small group for the weekend, not several hundred teenagers. When he saw the aftermath, he said furniture and wall hangings had been moved and a bar countertop was broken. Karlapudi said the listing clearly capped occupancy at 20 guests and that he has pulled the home off rental platforms while repairs are underway.
Part Of A Bigger Short-Term Rental Headache
The blowout in Celina fits into a broader pattern of short-term rentals being used for large, unsupervised gatherings that neighbors never signed up for. That trend has pushed North Texas cities to weigh tougher rules and enforcement around platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo, the Texas Observer reports. Local debates have focused on registration requirements, occupancy limits and nuisance enforcement that would give cities more leverage when a quiet street suddenly turns into a nightclub.
Police Want Tips, Parents Urged To Talk To Teens
Anyone who has information about criminal activity connected to the party is asked to contact the Celina Police Department’s Criminal Investigation Unit at 972-382-2121, according to The Dallas Express. Chief Cullison has also taken to social media, urging parents to talk with their kids about responsibility and how fast things can spin out of control at big, unsupervised gatherings.
What Airbnb Says About Party Houses
Airbnb’s Community Disturbance Policy bars disruptive gatherings and states that the company can suspend or remove listings that are tied to parties or chronic nuisance activity, according to Airbnb’s help pages. The owner told reporters that the Celina property has been taken off rental platforms while repairs continue, as reported by CBS News Texas, and hosts can seek damages or work with platforms on enforcement after incidents like this.
