Rochester Hills splatter shooting: Police identify gunmen, motives remain unknown

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (AP) — Authorities on Sunday identified the man who opened fire on a paddling pool in suburban Detroit before killing himself, but his motives remained unknown as investigators sought to determine whether he left behind any trace of his plans.

Oakland County Sheriff's spokesman Stephen Huber said the shooter was Michael William Nash, 42, of Shelby Township. Sheriff Mike Bouchard said Saturday evening that the shooter had no criminal history, but was apparently privately suffering from what the sheriff called “mental health issues.”

“Our understanding is that he was suffering from mental health issues, but no one that we know of was informed,” Bouchard said at an evening news conference.

The splash zone shooting was one of four mass shootings that took place across the country Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Six people were shot in a residential area of ​​Lathrup Village, another Detroit suburb. Seven people were shot at a party in Methuen, Massachusetts, and eight people were shot at a Juneteenth celebration in Round Rock, Texas. Two people were killed in this shooting.

Authorities said Nash went to suburban Rochester Hills on Saturday and opened fire on a splash pad in a city park around 5 p.m. A splash pad is a recreational area with a non-slip surface where people can play in fountains and water sprays.

The sheriff said Nash fired as many as 28 times, stopping several times to reload.

In the chaos, “people were falling, getting hit, trying to run,” Bouchard said. “Terrible things that all of us, unfortunately, in our law enforcement activities, have seen far too much of.”

The shooter was “apparently in no hurry.” I just calmly walked back to his car,” the sheriff said.

Nine people were injured, including an 8-year-old boy who was shot in the head; his 4-year-old brother, shot in the leg; and the boys' mother, injured in the abdomen and leg.

The 8-year-old boy and his mother were both in critical condition Saturday evening. The 4-year-old was in stable condition. The other six victims, all aged at least 30, were in stable condition Saturday evening. Huber, the sheriff's spokesman, said the condition of all victims was unchanged as of Sunday morning.

Nash eventually fled but apparently left his gun behind. Investigators were able to use the gun's registration information to track him to the Shelby Township home he shared with his mother. When police arrived, they found a car that matched the shooter's.

Police surrounded the house and eventually entered to find the suspect dead. Bouchard said the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officers found a handgun next to the body and a semi-automatic rifle on the kitchen table. Bouchard said Saturday that Nash may be considering a “second chapter” of the shooting.

Nash's Neighbors told the Detroit News that Nash's father died two years ago and that he was living with his mother, who traveled to the United States.

“He’s a loner. The blinds are always drawn there,” neighbor Kyleen Duchene told the newspaper.

Nash's mother was “super friendly and nice,” but Nash himself rarely left the house, neighbor Alex Roser said.

“And when he did, he didn't even say 'hi' to us when we wanted to greet him,” Roser said. “He was very quiet and didn’t want to be part of our community.”

Bouchard said Nash had no connection to the wading pool or any of the victims. Investigators will try to determine whether he left any writings and will examine his electronic devices in hopes of shedding light on his motivations.

“As for the ‘why,’ I don’t know,” Bouchard said.

Rochester Hills is approximately 15 miles south of Oxford, where in 2021 a 15-year-old shot dead four high school students. Saturday's shooting occurred at the end of the first full week of summer vacation for Rochester Community Schools students.

“I love my community and my heart breaks today,” said Rochester Mayor Bryan Barnett. “When I got on stage, I started crying because I know what a jet of water is supposed to be. It's supposed to be a place where people come together, where families create memories, where people have fun.

Bouchard called the attack “a gut punch” to the county.

“We’ve been through so much tragedy,” the sheriff said. “We don’t even fully understand what happened at Oxford. And, you know, we're now faced with another total tragedy that we're dealing with.