Couple Micayla and Eric Coughlin among 9 victims of Michigan wading pool shooting

US News

By David Proper

A couple who brought their baby and toddler to a Michigan wading pool — and protected them when a deranged gunman opened fire — were among nine shooting victims at the summer attraction Saturday, confirmed their relatives.

Micayla and Eric Coughlin were both injured while protecting their 2-year-old and 7-month-old daughters when gunshots rang out inside the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad, near their home, around 5 p.m.

The husband and wife, who live in Rochester, were shot a total of seven times during the gruesome scene, a family friend said in a GoFundMe post.

“Shortly after eating ice cream, they headed to the splash pad and weren't even there for a minute when Micayla and Eric heard gunshots,” the post said. “In an effort to save their children, they each grabbed a child to protect them. »

Both men are undergoing treatment after being rushed to hospital.

“Thanks to their heroic actions, their children were protected and able to return home that evening,” the family friend posted on the GoFundMe page. “Micayla and Eric face a long and unknown recovery from this unthinkable tragedy.”

As of Sunday evening, the fundraiser raised more than $20,000.

The Coughlins and seven other park visitors were injured in the shooting led by Michael William Nash, 42, who later killed himself during a confrontation with police.

The sickening gun violence left an 8-year-old boy critically injured after being shot in the head and a younger relative, a 4-year-old boy, in stable condition after being shot in the thigh, the police said. Oakland County Sheriff. Michael Bouchard said, according to the Detroit News.

A 39-year-old woman, related to the two children, was also shot in the legs and abdomen and was in critical condition Saturday.

The other victims were all aged 30 or older, including a 78-year-old man, WXYZ reported. They were all in stable condition.

Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett said one of the victims was the wife of a city employee and she was there with 14 family members and friends, the Detroit News reported.

“[When I talked to her husband,] he was in shock, but he was grateful that his family was OK and focused on supporting them,” Barnett said, according to the outlet.