West Side woman killed in shooting at party
A West Side woman died Sunday after being shot at a party at what victims described as an Airbnb rental in Merion Village, police said.
Police were called to the house on the 300 block of Whittier Street around 4:10 a.m. Sunday on a report of shots being fired. The responding officers found three people who had been shot.
Shamaya N. Dickerson, 21, of the Hilltop, was pronounced dead at the scene at 4:22 a.m. Sunday.
Derinn Echols, 21, of North Linden, and Tiffany Spiller, 22, of Olde Towne East, were both injured.
Spiller and Echols were taken to Ohiohealth Grant Medical Center for treatment and are both expected to survive their injuries.
No suspects have been identified. Witnesses told police the three had been attending a party at an Airbnb short-term rental in the area when the shots rang out, although the address where victims were located is not registered with the city as a short-term rental.
Airbnb warned its Columbus-area hosts in May that parties will be offlimits during the coronavirus crisis, and that the company might contact police to thwart them.
The firm had traditionally allowed property hosts to set up their own rules on events and parties at shortterm rental properties.
“However, these are very different times, and public health must come first,” Airbnb’s statement said. “To that end, we have previously announced that we will not allow for hosts to authorize parties and events in regions where current public health mandates prohibit events and gatherings.”
An Airbnb spokesman did not return a phone message Monday.
Columbus Police said last spring officers would be on the lookout for large parties to enforce health-code violations related to Ohio’s ban on gatherings of more than 10 people due to COVID-19.
Complaints including for parties have been made on about 10 licensed short-term rental sites since last summer, said Cathy Collins, support services administrator for the city Public Safety Department.
“While current code gives us the ability to deny, rescind or suspend a short-term rental license, there has yet to be criteria determined to meet that standard,” Collins said in an email Monday.
The Columbus City Council is also planning to hold a public hearing this year on tightening city code in regard to short-term rentals being used as party sites, said Councilman Rob Dorans, who last year sponsored legislation requiring background checks for unit owners to protect out-oftown guests from potential problems.
Dickerson’s death homicide in 2021.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 614-645-4730 or Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at 614-461TIPS. bbruner@dispatch.com @bethany_bruner bbush@dispatch.com @Reporterbush is the 10th