5 arrests in connection with Orinda Halloween massacre

MARIN CITY, Calif. (KTVU) - Five people were arrested on Thursday as part of an investigation into a mass shooting at a Halloween party in Orinda that left five people dead, authorities said. 

Contra Costa County Sheriff's deputies and the Marin County Sheriff's Office raided a complex in the 200 block of Drake Ave. in Marin City where they located some of the suspects. 

Law enforcement agencies served arrest warrants and search warrants in San Mateo, Marin City, Vallejo, and Antioch. 

The Contra Costa Sheriff's Office charged four of the suspects with murder and conspiracy and are being held without bail. They were identified as: 

• Lebraun Tyree Wallace, 28, of San Mateo
• Jaquez Deshawn Sweeney, 20, of Marin City
• Jason D. Iles,20,  of Marin City
• Shamron Joshua Mitchell,30, of Antioch     

The fifth suspect, 21-year-old Devin Isiah Williamson of Vallejo, was charged as an accessory and held on a $500,000 bail. 

“Extraordinary cooperation among multiple law enforcement agencies led to these arrests and a small measure of justice for the true victims,” said Contra Costa Sheriff David Livingston. “Additionally, evidence shows two of the deceased persons inside the house were themselves armed, which may have played a role in this tragedy. We look forward to providing more information in the coming days.” 

Witness video taken from a nearby residence showed SWAT officers surrounding a complex in Marin City with their guns drawn.

One woman who lives in the area said the police tactics were heavy-handed. 

"It looked like something you see out of a movie. It was police everywhere," Beverly Freeman said. "It was excessive. I don't think you needed that man officers on a school morning."

Investigators haven't released a motive in the shooting but sources say rival groups from Marin and San Francisco reignited a dispute at the Halloween party.

On that night, a woman who had paid $1,150 to rent an Airbnb at 144 Lucille Way in Orinda, a sprawling home owned by Michael Wang and Wenlin Luo, advertised an "Airbnb Mansion Party" and about 100 people showed up. The woman who rented the home had told the homeowners she needed a place to stay to escape the smoke from the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County, authorities said. Instead, she organized a party that asked guests to "bring your own booze" and "bring your own weed." 

Here is a breakdown of what happened the night that five young people were shot and killed at the party, according to police logs released Tuesday to KTVU following a California Public Records Request. The logs give the first detailed, chronological look at what transpired on Oct. 31. 

8:30 p.m - Orinda officers were asked to help the Lafayette Police Department track down a white BMW that was stolen by two armed men during a violent home invasion robbery on Martino Road. That request led officers to Oakland, where they remained for two hours, waiting for crime lab technicians to examine the stolen vehicle and a tow truck to arrive.

9:16 p.m. - Resident calls Orinda police to report a loud party at 144 Lucille Way and also mentions that the noise at the address is a "continual problem.

10:25 p.m. - A second person calls Orinda police about a loud party at the same address.

10:49 p.m.- Residents report that "hundreds of juveniles" are running around, that people are screaming and that a disaster has happened. Callers tell dispatchers that it appears that four to five people have been shot dead.

10:49-10:52 p.m.-T hose at the party who called police said people were hiding in closets, jumping off balconies to escape and that people were lying in pools of blood on the floor.

At 10:51 p.m., the Orinda patrol vehicle was “preempted and dispatched” back to Orinda.

10:52 p.m.- A 911 caller asked what the ETA would be for police to arrive. Dispatch reported it would take another three minutes. 

11:01 p.m.- Orinda police report they are on scene at 144 Lucille Way. At that time, police report back to dispatch that they need to wait until at least three units arrive before going inside and clearing the house. A K-9 unit was en route. 

11:29 p.m.- Orinda dispatch puts out a call for mutual aid to help with crowd control. Contra Costa Sherif's deputies, additional Orinda police officers, and the California Highway Patrol responded and began working the crime scene.

A witness at the party described one of the suspects as a "heavyset" man wearing an orange-hooded jacket and was possibly carrying a military MAC-10 "machine-operated" pistol. 

One neighbor, who did not want their name to be used, nor would they go on camera, said the damage was done. What they saw that night has forever altered their sense of security. 

"It's really hard to forget about it, especially because it happened so close to me," they said. 

Orinda Police Chief David Cook said at a City Council meeting earlier this month that two officers on duty at any given time is the standard in the city of 19,000 people. But, some Orinda residents and city leaders are now calling for additional staffing.

Meanwhile, city records, also obtained by KTVU, show that Orinda code enforcement officers were aware of the Lucille Way Airbnb property, which rented out for $800 a night and charged a $350 cleaning fee. Planning director Drummond Buckley wrote homeowners March 8, letting them know they'd be getting two "notices of violation" for a large party in the summer of 2018.

Code enforcement officers got involved after neighbors complained about overflowing garbage and a dead raccoon on the rental property. Buckley told the homeowners that they needed to re-list their property on Airbnb from "up to 30 people" allowed to no more than 13 people onsite at any time. If there were any more violations, Buckley wrote them, there would be fines. 

The City Council has already issued a temporary moratorium on "no host" short-term rentals in Orinda following the deadly shooting. The council will revisit the issue again at a future meeting to determine a longer term solution.