Chicago man identified as victim in Barrington Hills house party shooting
Barrington Hills police have identified 28-year-old Sean B. Patton of Chicago as the victim of the fatal shooting during a house party early Saturday morning.
The Cook County medical examiner's office previously ruled Patton's death a homicide, saying he died as a result of multiple gunshot wounds.
As police and the Cook County Major Case Assistance Team continued their investigation of the slaying, a possible violation of local law through the apparent short-term rental of the house via Airbnb also is under scrutiny by law enforcement.
Barrington Hills has long emphasized its ban on commercial use of residential properties, Mayor Martin McLaughlin said.
"During my time in office, we have had very limited need to address anything even close to this," he said.
McLaughlin declined further comment on the rental aspect of the case pending the outcome of the police department's investigation.
But the village released a statement on its Facebook page Monday afternoon, calling the weekend shooting a saddening but isolated incident and restating its position on short-term rentals.
"The use of a residential property for purely commercial purposes is not allowed in Barrington Hills under the village's zoning regulations," the statement reads. "Thus, the commercial use of any property for short-term rental for lodging, special events, etc., is strictly prohibited by the village code. We cannot provide further details at this time, as this is an ongoing investigation."
The police department also encouraged residents to request assistance or report suspicious activity by calling its dispatch center at (847) 428-8784.
Airbnb issued a statement over the weekend saying it bars open-invite parties at properties it rents.
Police called to the house on the 300 block of Old Sutton Road at 3:22 a.m. Saturday for a report of shots fired arrived to find Patton dead from gunshot wounds. A preliminary investigation revealed a large party was held at the house by people who live outside the village, police said.
In April 2016, Lake Barrington officials banned short-term house rentals only days after guests driving home from a party held at an Airbnb rental fired a gun at other guests along Route 14 in Barrington, about 5 miles from the house they'd left.
"I think it's been pretty effective," said Lake Barrington Village Administrator Karen Daulton Lange, who was a village trustee at the time.
She said she could recall at least one instance in which a prospective short-term rental was stopped before it occurred when the village learned of it. She did not know of any instances of the village learning of a short-term rental after the fact since the law was passed.
Barrington Area Council of Governments Executive Director Janet Agnoletti said her agency has been opposing any state bills seeking to prohibit local governments from regulating short-term rentals during the past few years.