Woman injured in Pittsburgh mass shooting sues Airbnb, rental company

PITTSBURGH — A woman wounded in a mass shooting at a Pittsburgh Airbnb in April has filed a lawsuit against the short-term rental company and the property owner, alleging their negligence allowed a party at the location to become violent.

Tyriale Neal, identified in the complaint as "an adult individual who resides in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania," filed the suit in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court on Wednesday.

Both Airbnb and 900 North Group, the company that owned the property at Suismon Street and Madison Avenue where the shooting occurred on Easter morning, are named as defendants.

No one has been charged in the shooting, and police are still investigating the incident that left two teens dead and nine others injured.

Neal alleges in the complaint that she was admitted to the party “at some point prior to 12:30 a.m.” on April 17. Reports from police show there were approximately 200 people attending the party on the top floor of the duplex.

As shots were fired around 12:30 a.m., Neal tried to escape the gunfire but was struck in the right leg. The complaint says she suffered a gunshot wound, a shattered right femur, a dislocated right hip, scarring, and mental and emotional harm.

The results have been "pain, suffering, embarrassment and inconvenience," the complaint reads, along with "economic damage."

Because of shootings occurring at parties at other Airbnb rentals, including one in California in which five people were killed, the company was aware that parties were regularly held at their properties, the complaint alleges.

The 900 North Group company also was aware that large parties were regularly held at the Pittsburgh property, the complaint says. While both companies ban parties from their premises, the plaintiff alleges there is no mechanism in place to enforce that prohibition.

The lawsuit does not detail exactly how much money the plaintiffs are requesting if the court rules in their favor.

Airbnb did not immediately respond to questions sent on Friday. Representatives for 900 North Group could not be reached for comment.

Airbnb last month permanently banned parties at rental properties on its platform, codifying a rule that had been in place since August 2020.

A message left for Neal’s attorney was not immediately returned Friday morning. When reached by phone, Neal’s mother, Amber Neal, said, “We don’t wish to make any comments on the situation at any time.”

The lawsuit is the first reported legal action taken by victims in the incident that killed two teens — 17-year-olds Mathew Steffy-Ross, of Pitcairn, and Jaiden Brown, of North Braddock — and caused panic as some 200 people at the party fled the scene. Social media videos showed people running out of the apartment as gunshots ring out constantly.

Police said over 100 rounds were fired by two shooters, and assault-style weapons were involved.

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. They also stated they would sue the guest, but it's unclear if that suit has been filed.

Police in May asked for the public's help identifying a man who was allegedly connected to the incident, but they did not detail his involvement even after they made contact with him. He also has not been charged with any crimes connected to the shooting.

The shooting also led to new action by Pittsburgh City Council, which introduced a bill requiring any person or company that owns property operating as a short-term rental to get a yearly license through the city. That legislation is still on hold, with council in June citing forthcoming amendments as the reason for the delay.

Neighbors who lived near the scene described hordes of young people sprinting out of the building and into the streets, while some sped away in vehicles. The morning after, nearby vehicles had visible bullet holes; one car on the block had a blood streak on it.

Police initially responded to the scene about 90 minutes before the shooting for a noise complaint as the party began, but officers left after speaking to someone at the entrance to the residence. It was afterward that people began to line up along the sidewalk to gain entry.

Scott Schubert, the then-chief of police, said in April that officers didn’t know that the duplex was being used as a short-term rental through Airbnb, and there was no indication from the outside how many people were already inside the building.