Motive for wading pool shooting investigated, but mental health issues were evident – The Oakland Press

Lina Portman2 weeks ago

0 5 minutes read

A memorial at the splash pad on Auburn Road in Rochester Hills, where nine people were injured in a random shooting. (Peg McNichol / MediaNews Group)

Two survivors of nine people injured in Saturday's mass shooting at the Brooklands Plaza splash pad were released from hospital Monday.

A 37-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man were released Monday morning. A 39-year-old woman was about to be released Monday evening after being shot in the forearm and back, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said. Two remain in critical condition. He did not impose conditions on the other four victims, other than to say that their conditions had not changed. It was one of four mass shootings that occurred in the United States on Saturday and Sunday morning.

Bouchard visited the 8-year-old who was shot in the head and said he seemed resilient in the face of “a lot of challenges ahead” and to say the boy's father was “shaken would be an understatement” because the man's wife and their 4 His 12-year-old son remain hospitalized due to his injuries.

Rochester Hills Mayor Brian K. Barnett has been in office for 18 years. He said nothing like Saturday's shooting has happened in the town's 40-year history or in the years the community was part of Avon Township. He attended two vigils Sunday evening for survivors of the shooting and wore a pale blue and yellow ribbon — the city's colors — pinned to his lapel at the news conference along with a Rochester Hills pin. The city created a fundraiser for the injured. The sheriff's office uses its Facebook page to share links to verified GoFundMe accounts.

Bouchard said it remains unclear why Shelby Township resident Michael William Nash, 42, fired up to 36 times into the crowd near the splash pad, stopping several times to reload.

He threw away the firearm, a Glock Model 43 9mm semi-automatic handgun, and fled home, where he killed himself, Bouchard said, using a semi-automatic handgun. automatic Glock 19. Police believe he attended the scene but did not use it.

The gun used at the splash pad belonged to Nash, who purchased it legally in 2015, Bouchard said. The shooter had few interactions with police, he said, other than a 2016 traffic ticket.

The paddling pool remains closed indefinitely and as of Monday afternoon, green fabric covered the fence around the site. Police found additional shell casings, two additional one-brand magazines and a third six-round magazine at the scene.

Bouchard said his office will turn over the site to the city relatively soon.

Police examined the shooter's cellphone and found no evidence of motive, Bouchard said, adding that police also confiscated a tablet, a MacBook Pro laptop, two PC towers, four USB sticks and two hard drives external parties which are currently being examined.

Police questioned the shooter's mother, Bouchard said. She described her son walking around the house, sometimes carrying guns, worrying out loud that the government was tracking him and saying things like, “Turn off your phone,” Bouchard said.

The shooter's mother is the only family member questioned by police and she has since retained a lawyer, he said, adding that it is more difficult to get information from her at present.

“It appears to me, as a layman, that he had mental health issues and at this point we still have no information that this was brought to anyone's attention,” he said. he said, adding that more people should speak out about their problems. their own mental health problems or those of others.

“Going back to Columbine, someone saw something and it wasn’t shared in a robust way. Someone heard something. Someone is almost always able to know and see something and it is not shared in a full circle that includes public safety and mental health professionals. This is how we approach things.

For some sheriff's deputies who responded Saturday, this was their third mass shooting since Oxford. Some reacted to the 2023 mass shooting at Michigan State University, in which three students were killed and five others injured. Others responded to last week's shooting in the village of Lathrup, where six were injured. Bouchard said deputies only had one peer support person, but a consultant arrived Monday to provide debriefing support.

“We field mental health calls almost daily,” he said, adding that at least once a week they are dispatched to look for people who are trying to end their lives. “There needs to be more emphasis on mental health for the community, more resources and a broader continuum of care, both inpatient and outpatient settings. That is not here. Our mental health community is struggling, and as a result, our community is struggling.

Federal and state officials can help by sending more mental health support, he said, not only to the sheriff's office but to the community.

The Sheriff's Office has released a wide range of mental health resources for the public in partnership with Oakland County Community Health and Common Ground.

“We encourage people to reach out…help is available.” You should ask for it. People want to help,” he said.

Police found 11 firearms at the shooter's home: the Glock 19, a Sears .30-30 caliber rifle, a Mossberg .410 caliber bolt-action rifle, a Spikes Tactical AR model .223 rifle, a Browning .22 lever- a Marlin .22 caliber bolt action rifle, a Remington .243 caliber bolt action rifle, a Winchester 12 gauge pump action shotgun, a Mossberg .22 caliber bolt action rifle, a Western Field pump action shotgun 410 caliber shotgun and a .22 caliber Rough Rider single-shot pistol.

The city's annual Hills Festival will take place next week, Barnett said, adding that city officials are working with the sheriff's office to coordinate security.

“We fully intend for the festivities to continue. It may look a little different in terms of coverage and support, but like I said before, I think it speaks to what we value as a community. We enjoy coming together and celebrating. We value community spaces, parks and being outdoors. We're not going to hand this over to anyone for a random event.

“I don’t believe the incident will define our community. I believe our response will be,” Barnett said, adding that more than 70 mayors from across the United States have given him their support and advice since Saturday.

Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said Monday that every parent should ask themselves how they can prevent such violence. She encouraged people to take evidence-based actions and use tools to prevent gun violence, including the Action Protocol, online at AllofUsCan.org.