Rochester police are investigating shootings that occurred at a house party Saturday night in the 4300 block of Lake Avenue in the Charlotte neighborhood.
Officers responded to the area around 11:46 p.m. for a report of at least one person shot. When they arrived they found a 16-year-old male who had at least one gunshot wound to his upper body. He was transported to a hospital by ambulance and was being treated for life-threatening injuries, according to the Rochester Police Department.
A 16-year-old female with at least one gunshot to her upper body was taken to a hospital by a private vehicle. Her injuries were determined to be non-life-threatening, police said.
Rochester Police Department Capt. Greg Bello confirmed in an email Monday that the location where the shooting occurred is a short-term rental and that dozens of youths had gathered there for a party.
Monroe County Legislator Rachel Barnhart said in a statement that the property's status as a short-term rental raises questions about oversight and transparency.
In 2024, New York state lawmakers adopted a short-term rental law to tax and regulate the businesses. Part of that law was a registry intended to provide transparency and an enforcement mechanism. Monroe County opted out of that system.
"Our community deserves transparency, accountability, and policies that prioritize safety," Barnhart said. "We should revisit the decision to opt out of a registry."
County officials are negotiating with Airbnb and VRBO for those platforms to begin voluntarily providing a list of properties by ZIP code and the number of nights they've been rented.
County lawmakers are able to opt back in to the statewide registry.
