PHOENIX (AZFamily)<\/b> \u2014 Residents in a Phoenix neighborhood said they are still shaken after more than two dozen shots were fired outside a home near 56th Street and Thomas Road last weekend\u2014a burst of rapid gunfire captured on a security camera.<\/p>\n
Neighbors said the video recorded more than 30 gunshots from multiple guns and showed people taking cover in their vehicles as the shooting continued.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s also fueling a growing concern across the Valley: Neighbors worry large parties at short-term rentals are increasingly leading to violence.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s more like a motel than an Airbnb\u201d<\/p>\n
Bill Haley said he moved to the area for the quiet streets and friendly faces.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve been here for almost 13 years,\u201d Haley said.<\/p>\n
But he said a different sound has become more common\u2014and it has neighbors questioning what is happening in their community.<\/p>\n
Last Sunday morning, just after midnight, Haley said gunfire rang out through the neighborhood.<\/p>\n
\u201cThen all of a sudden, I mean, is that fireworks or is that a full-on magazine of an automatic rifle?\u201d Haley said.<\/p>\n
Neighbors say the home where the shots were fired is not owner-occupied but used as a short-term rental.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s more like a motel than an Airbnb,\u201d one neighbor said.<\/p>\n
The neighbor, who did not want to be identified, said there are several rental units at the property.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere are four rental units in there, so there\u2019s a lot of traffic and a lot of people in and out,\u201d the neighbor said.<\/p>\n
The listing appears on a short-term rental website, but neighbors claim it has been removed from Airbnb and Vrbo.<\/p>\n
Another neighbor, who also asked not to be identified, said he was not home at the time of the shooting, but his son was sleeping in a room near where the gunfire erupted.<\/p>\n
\u201cI just can\u2019t imagine this happening anywhere near us, but it was in our front yard and next door,\u201d the neighbor said.<\/p>\n
Haley said neighbors heard the party may have been advertised on Instagram.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy are we having these parties at an Airbnb or a Vrbo or whatever kind of a short-term rental this is?\u201d Haley said.<\/p>\n
In September 2023, the Phoenix City Council approved new regulations for short-term rentals, including a permitting system and tougher penalties for nuisance properties. But Haley said the violence shows the changes have not gone far enough.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s got to be some form of regulation,\u201d Haley said.<\/p>\n
At the state level, a bill introduced in January would allow cities to impose additional restrictions\u2014including the option to prohibit short-term rentals entirely. The measure is currently stalled in the Senate, awaiting the next session.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, neighbors near 56th Street and Thomas Road say they are planning a town hall meeting and have invited Phoenix City Council members to attend.<\/p>\n
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