Mass shooting at Rochester Hills splash pad: Everything we know

ROCHESTER HILLS, Michigan. – Nine people were injured, including two children, when a man opened fire Saturday at a wading pool in Oakland County.

When did the shooting take place?

The shooting happened shortly after 5 p.m. on Saturday, June 15.

Where did the shooting take place?

The shooting occurred at Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad at 1585 E. Auburn Road in Rochester Hills.

What do we know about the shooting?

Police said the shooter drove to the splash pad, parked and began shooting once he got out of his car from the base of the steps leading to the splash pad. water. He climbed the steps, reloaded, and continued firing from the top of the steps into the area of ​​the water jets.

He fired 28 shots randomly into the crowded area, police said. He reloaded several times and allegedly fired two handguns.

Some victims were shot while trying to flee the scene. The shooter fled before police arrived.

What do we know about the police response?

An Oakland County sergeant arrived on scene minutes after the shooting and was called to 911. The department uses Live 911, which allows deputies on the road to hear calls when they arrive at 911 even before before they are sent to the agents.

The sergeant heard the call on the radio and rushed to the water spray area, where he was there in less than two minutes and began helping the victims by applying tourniquets and offering them his support.

Who are the victims ?

Micayla and Eric Coughlin of Rochester Hills had just arrived at the splash pad with their two daughters when they heard gunshots, according to a GoFundMe page created by a friend of the family. Everyone grabbed a child to protect them. The children were not injured, but the couple was shot seven times.

According to the sheriff's office, a total of nine people were shot. Authorities said a 39-year-old woman and her two sons were shot. The woman was in critical condition, her 8-year-old son was in critical condition and her 4-year-old son was in stable condition.

The other victims include a 30-year-old woman, a 30-year-old man, a 37-year-old woman, a 39-year-old woman, a 40-year-old man and a 78-year-old man.

What do we know about the shooter?

The shooter was identified as Michael William Nash, 42, of Shelby Township.

Police recovered a 9mm handgun from the splash zone, which was registered to the shooter. They located him at a mobile home park in Shelby Township, where he killed himself hours after the shooting. Police said they believe the shooter lived with his mother, who was not home at the time.

What did we learn from the investigation?

Police are still investigating why the man decided to open fire on random strangers. They found no notes, manifestos or other evidence offering an explanation. The investigation will include establishing a timeline of what he did before and after the shooting.

A rifle was discovered in the house where the shooter was found dead. Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said, “Because we quickly contained him, what if he had planned to do something else – and that wouldn't surprise me because having this on the kitchen table is not an everyday activity – that it was probably something else, potentially a second chapter.

Bouchard said police had no previous contact with the shooter and he had no criminal record. Bouchard said the family indicated the shooter may have had “mental health issues.”

“We have some information that we're obviously going to pursue that comes from his family who said he had been having a hard time recently and was walking around the house with a gun and having paranoid thoughts. We haven't looked into that further yet and that's obviously something that will be part of this investigation, but we also encourage people, look, if someone has a very serious mental health issue and they have weapons in hand is a good thing. it is time to call on mental health professionals and certainly public safety. We really need to be confronted with so many of these tragedies rather than hearing about them afterwards. Almost every thing I've analyzed, and I've analyzed active shooters for 25 years, has a very clear component that if someone shared information, it could have been disrupted,” Bouchard said.

In February of this year, Michigan enacted new gun laws, which included an Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) law. The ERPO Act allows courts to temporarily prohibit people considered to pose a risk to themselves or others from owning or purchasing firearms.

A spouse, former spouse, partner, former partner, family member, roommate, guardian, law enforcement officer, or medical professional may petition the court to temporarily remove firearms from fire of a person if they are considered to present a risk.

—> More: Michigan Gun Laws: What to do if you think someone is a danger to themselves or others

Resources available for residents

The Department of Public Utilities building in Rochester Hills will now serve as a family assistance center. Anyone who feels they need help is encouraged to talk to someone. You do not need an appointment to access Family Assistance Center resources. Therapists will be available Monday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at 511 E Auburn Road.

If you are unable to get to the Family Assistance Center, you can contact the nurse on call at 800-848-5533. They are available Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.