Police are investigating the motive behind a “random” shooting that injured at least nine people at a crowded recreation area in Rochester Hills, Michigan, on Saturday afternoon. The incident caused panic among families at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad.
The gunman, identified as 42-year-old Michael William Nash from Shelby Township, opened fire after arriving at the splash pad. According to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard, Nash fired from about 20 feet away and reloaded multiple times, discharging “potentially 28 times.”
“Under no circumstances is it normal for ice cream cones and flip-flops to be strewn amongst blood and bullet casings,” Michigan Rep. John James stated at a Saturday night news conference.
Nash was later found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at the home he shared with his mother, about half a mile from the crime scene. A rifle was found on the kitchen table. Nash had no previous police record or criminal history.
Victims and Impact
The victims, including two young children and their mother, were taken to four local hospitals with various injuries. As of early Sunday morning, two victims were in critical condition, and seven were in stable condition.
An 8-year-old boy is in critical condition after being shot in the head, and his 4-year-old brother, who was shot in the thigh, is stable. Their 39-year-old mother, with wounds to the abdomen and leg, is in critical condition.
Six other victims, aged 30 to 78, are in stable condition.
Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett expressed his sorrow, stating, “When I got on scene, I started to cry. Because I know what a splash pad is supposed to be. It’s supposed to be a place where people gather, where families make memories, where people have fun and enjoy a Saturday afternoon and it wasn’t today.”
Investigation and Response
The shooting appears to be random, with no known connection between the suspect and the victims. Authorities are still searching for a motive.
“We’ll be looking for any evidence … that would give us an inclination of what may be driving this individual prior to this terrible moment,” Sheriff Bouchard said.
This incident adds to a string of recent mass shootings in Michigan, including the February 2023 shooting at Michigan State University, which killed three students, and the 2021 Oxford High School shooting, which killed four students.
“We’re not even fully comprehending what happened at Oxford, and now we have another complete tragedy that we’re dealing with,” Bouchard noted.
The Gun Violence Archive reports that there have been around 220 mass shootings in the U.S. this year. The archive, like CNN, defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, excluding the shooter.
The Shooting Incident
Sheriff Bouchard detailed the chaotic scene, where Nash arrived with a Glock 9 mm handgun and began shooting.
“It looked chaotic. You could see people kind of just enjoying the day and then it was a scramble,” Bouchard said, referencing video footage of the incident. “People were falling, getting hit, trying to run.”
Detectives recovered 28 shell casings at the scene. Nash started firing once he exited his car and continued as he climbed the steps of the splash pad area. He then calmly walked back to his car and left the scene.
Witness Cheryl Delcotto initially thought the gunfire was fireworks. “We were sitting out on the patio and we heard what we thought was firecrackers and I guess it was gunshots because we heard people screaming, like ‘help us, help us!’” Delcotto told CNN. “So, we ran around, I called 911, I couldn’t get a hold of anybody because I guess people were already calling.”
The first 911 call was made around 5:11 p.m., and a Rochester Hills sergeant arrived within two minutes, but the suspect had already fled. Authorities found the handgun and three empty magazines at the scene.
Conclusion
The investigation continues as authorities search for a motive behind this tragic and seemingly random act of violence. The Rochester Hills community is left grappling with the aftermath, seeking answers and healing from this senseless attack.