[3] The short-term rental was arranged by a woman who reportedly told the property owner that she was hosting a family reunion for 12 people and because some guests had asthma, they needed to gather at a location free of wildfire smoke.
The home was equipped with a doorbell camera which the property owner used to verify that a party was taking place, in violation of the rental agreement.
[4][8] Additional police responded to the home after receiving reports at 10:50 pm of gunshots being fired inside a short-term rental home;[8] call logs showed the city's only two patrol officers on duty that night previously had been called to Oakland at 8:48 pm to recover a stolen car and were not in Orinda at the time of the shooting.
[17] After an initial review of video captured during that night, investigators said several party guests were seen tucking guns into their pants to avoid scrutiny from a security guard posted by the front door.
[15] Two of the victims belonged to the San Francisco-based Page Street Mob gang;[18][19] because one of those victims was the younger brother of the sole person charged with a quadruple homicide in Hayes Valley that occurred in 2015,[20] the San Francisco Police Department joined the investigation, suspecting the Orinda shootings could have been a retaliatory act.
[17][23] The "Ramey warrants" used for the arrests only required probable cause,[24][25] but the DA's office examined the credible evidence and were not sure they could prove their case beyond a reasonable doubt.
[26] On November 21, 2019, the Contra Costa Sheriff's Department and federal agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives arrested two more suspects on charges of illegal possession of weapons and child endangerment, seizing a gun linked to this and multiple other shootings.
[32] Thompkins also was a registered organ donor, and her gifts were honored through a florograph portrait on the Donate Life Rose Parade float in January 2023.
[11][6] That December, Airbnb rolled out new rules banning "open invitation" parties at all accommodations hosted by the platform, with limited exceptions for boutique hotels and professional event venues.
[34] The Orinda City Council scheduled a special hearing shortly after the shooting to discuss the incident and to determine if there was a need for possible regulations to prohibit out-of-control parties.
[37] Some residents in Orinda and the greater San Francisco Bay Area expressed frustration that the reaction to the shooting focused more on Airbnb policy than on empathy for the victims.