Woman who escaped Easter shooting files lawsuit

Leapt from second floor at Airbnb to reach safety

A woman who leapt from a second-story window to escape the deadly Easter morning mass shooting at a North Side Airbnb party sued the home-share company and the owners and renters of the North Side property, alleging negligence on the part of all three entities.

Dejonia Rosser, 19, and her attorneys wrote in a lawsuit filed Wednesday in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court that she fractured multiple bones in her right leg and injured both wrists when she jumped to escape the melee.

Police have said around 200 people, many of whom were underage, were inside the rental property when multiple people began shooting, Two teenage boys — Matthew Steffy Ross and Jaiden Brown — were killed, and a number of others were wounded trying to get away.

At one point, witnesses said, a line of people waiting to get into the party stretched around the building. A Pittsburgh police officer responded to a noise complaint about 90 minutes before the shooting started but said someone turned down the music and he saw no signs of trouble.

Police have made no arrests in connection with the shooting.

Ms. Rosser arrived at the party around 12:15 a.m., according to the lawsuit. Gunfire erupted about 15 minutes later, at which point she jumped from a second-story window to escape.

The lawsuit alleges that Airbnb knew that

properties booked through the company’s website were often used for large, open-invite parties often advertised on social media and “[had] knowledge of the dangers from allowing such conduct.”

Indeed, the April 17 shooting was not the first violent incident reported at properties rented via Airbnb. The lawsuit points to a quadruple homicide at a house party near Los Angeles as well as shootings at parties at rental units in Orlando, Fla., and Fresno, Calif.

The company, therefore, was “on notice of previous acts of violence” at rental properties, the lawsuit alleged.

A spokesman for Airbnb referred to a statement released in the hours after the shooting, noting the company strictly bans parties and “we condemn the behavior that is alleged to have prompted this criminal gun violence.”

The lawsuit also names 900 North Group, the owners of the Madison Avenue property, and K&C Ventures, a group the lawsuit alleges was renting the property from 900 North Group. Both should have taken more care to keep the property safe, according to the filing.

The three-story property is divided into two units, one of which was rented and used to host the April 17 party.

The lawsuit is seeking an unspecified amount in damages.

Details on who exactly organized the party also remain scant. Airbnb has said that the guest who rented the apartment for the party has been banned from the platform, but that person has not been publicly identified.

It is the second lawsuit against Airbnb and the property owners stemming from the shooting.

A woman who was shot in the leg and suffered a shattered femur filed a lawsuit in July, alleging negligence on the part of Airbnb and 900 North Group.