A purported 17-year-old swiper of credit cards unintentionally guided the sheriff's deputies to his wild birthday bash at an Airbnb in a suburban nook of Minnesota. The lawmen claim they stumbled upon 11 concealed firearms tucked in odd places like walls, fast food wrappers, handbags, and even board game boxes.
In a post on Facebook, Ramsey County Undersheriff Mike Martin narrated the operation as an "Airbnb turned into machinegunbnb," remarking that some of the guns had add-ons that made them shoot full-auto.
These firearms were cunningly stashed in backpacks, purses, hidden behind unfinished walls, above furnaces, and behind TVs and sofas, as per the sheriff's office. One was chilling in a Heads Up! game box, while another lurked in a McDonald's bag right on the kitchen counter, officials disclosed.
A handful of these weapons boasted extended magazines and gadgets known as "auto sears" or "switches," allowing regular handguns to morph into machine guns capable of emptying 33 rounds in less than two seconds.
The situation escalated when it was revealed that some party attendees were associated with a group that had adversaries, or as they referred to them, "opps."
The whole saga commenced on a Saturday when deputies trailed a suspect tied to credit card theft, who was making an unlawful purchase at a Target. Their pursuit led them to a late-night gathering at an Airbnb rental in Shoreview, just outside Minneapolis.
This suspect and a partner were caught on surveillance cameras and were also spotted by a witness while breaking into a vehicle and fleeing.
Upon recognizing the suspect, investigators built their case. They discovered that the 17-year-old suspect planned to celebrate his birthday at the Airbnb that Saturday.
However, the homeowner had set some ground rules: a maximum of 10 guests, no weapons, and no smoking.
As fate would have it, the gathering swelled to about 50 attendees, with participants flaunting their firearms and lighting up, which clearly violated the rules. The homeowner alerted authorities to disband the party.
When the partygoers exited the premises, deputies ensured they weren't carrying illegal guns and advised them to leave any such items behind.
The suspect was subsequently apprehended, and the rental property underwent a thorough search.
Officials shared that they were gathering fingerprints and DNA evidence from the firearms, attempting to trace their origins. The weapons would be test-fired and the data logged into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) to ascertain if they had been used in other criminal activities.
Undersheriff Martin pointed out that they had successfully removed 11 guns from circulation, thus preventing potential harm or criminal usage. He even extended birthday wishes to the suspect who inadvertently led them to the scene, saying, "And I'm glad we could share it with you."
Airbnb, in a statement, emphasized that the host had no knowledge of the party and had not authorized it. They stated that unauthorized and disruptive parties are strictly prohibited on their platform, and the booking guest had been removed from the platform. Airbnb expressed its support for the host and their commitment to assisting the Ramsey County Sheriff's Office in their investigation.
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