Five shot dead at Halloween house party

Five people have died following a Halloween shooting at a house party in northern California.

The property was said to have been rented by a woman who falsely claimed her asthmatic family members wanted to escape the smoke from the wildfires which have affected large parts of the state. Gunshots were reported at about 10.45pm on Thursday at the large home in the wealthy San Francisco suburb of Orinda where more than 100 people had gathered, police said. The home had been rented on Airbnb by a woman who told the owner her dozen family members needed a location with fresh air.

A one-night rental on Halloween was suspicious enough that the owner reminded the renter that no parties were allowed.

The renter, whose name and home town have not been disclosed, told the homeowner that her family members had asthma and needed a place to escape the smoky air. A wildfire burning in Sonoma County about 60 miles north of Orinda earlier in the week forced tens of thousands to leave and fouled the air over a wide area. Michael Wang, who owns the four-bedroom house, said his wife got in touch with the renter on Thursday night after neighbours contacted them about the party. The renter said only a dozen people were at the home but Mr Wang said he could see many more on video from his doorbell camera. Meanwhile, a teenager has been charged with attempted murder after a sevenyear-old girl was shot in the neck while out trick or treating. The girl, who was wearing a bumblebee costume, was critically injured in the shooting on Chicago’s West Side on Thursday.

Police believe she was shot in a gangrelated attack and the man, 30, thought to be the target was shot in the hand, police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said.