Shooter identified after 9 injured in shooting at splash pad in suburban Detroit

ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – Authorities on Sunday identified the man who opened fire at a wading pool in Rochester Hills, a suburb of Detroit, on Saturday evening before killing himself. However, his motives remain unknown as investigators attempted to determine whether he left a trace of his plans.

Oakland County Sheriff's spokesman Stephen Huber said the shooter was Michael William Nash, 42, of Shelby Township. He committed suicide after a standoff at a house in a nearby community.

Sheriff Michael Bouchard said Saturday evening that the shooter had no criminal history, but was apparently privately suffering from what the sheriff called “mental health issues.”

At least nine people were injured in the shooting, including two children.

Bouchard said during a press briefing that the suspect got into a car shortly after 5 p.m. local time, got out and opened fire at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad, located at 1585 E. Auburn Road.

“It appears that the individual stopped, exited a vehicle, approached the water spray area, opened fire, reloaded, opened fire, reloaded, took off,” Bouchard said. “It seems very random at this point…No connection to the victims.”

The nine victims ranged in age from 4 to 78, Bouchard said. An 8-year-old boy and a 39-year-old woman, both from the same family, are in critical condition. The boy suffered a gunshot wound to the head, according to the sheriff's office.

The other victims were in stable condition with multiple gunshot wounds. At least four area hospitals were treating the victims.

After fleeing the shooting, the suspect, whose name was not released, was discovered to have gone to a home less than a half-mile from the splash pad, Bouchard said. Authorities surrounded the barricaded home in Shelby Township and a standoff ensued.

“We very quickly identified who we believed might have been involved based on the evidence at the scene and responded immediately,” Bouchard said during the earlier briefing. “There was a vehicle there that matched what was described as a vehicle leaving the scene. So we established a quick perimeter. And officers on scene apparently heard or saw the person they were trying to communicate with.

During the shooting, the shooter reportedly fired 28 times and reloaded several times, Bouchard said. A Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol was found at the scene, along with three empty magazines.

Bouchard said officers were able to trace the gun's registration to the Shelby Township address where the suspect lived with his mother.

Less than an hour after the shooting, authorities had “contained” the house and “established a strict perimeter” using SWAT, helicopters and drones, Bouchard said. The suspect's mother was not home at the time of the confrontation, Bouchard said.

After failing to contact the suspect, police entered the home and used drones to find the suspect dead inside, Bouchard said. The sheriff also showed reporters a photo of a semi-automatic weapon found on a kitchen table. A second gun was also found in the house. Bouchard said the suspect died from what appears to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

“I think because we got it under control quickly, if he were to consider doing something else, I wouldn't be surprised because having this on the kitchen table is not an everyday occurrence,” Bouchard said. “That there was probably something else, a second chapter, possible.”

Bouchard said investigators still don't have a motive for the shooting. The suspect “had no criminal history that we are aware of” and investigators have so far found no connection between the suspect and the location of the shooting.

Jared Schmidt, a Rochester Hills resident, told CBS News he was in the area near the splash pad when he noticed “a lot of cars screaming, tires, people running were running around the neighborhood and a woman screaming that there was an active shooter.”

Schmidt said he jumped in his car and drove to the spray area, where he said he found “a lot of blood” and began administering first aid to the victims, using tourniquets. and compression bandages. He said one of his friends was among the injured.

“I know these people,” Schmidt said. “This is my neighborhood… These are my family members… It’s terrible.”

Bouchard says this in his previous comments referred to the 2021 mass shooting at Oxford High School in neighboring Oxford, in which a teenage gunman killed four classmates.

“This is obviously a big blow to us here in Oakland County. We have experienced so many tragedies,” Bouchard said. “We don’t even fully understand what happened in Oxford and we are now faced with another total tragedy.”

In a statement on social media, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she was “heartbroken to learn of the shootings in Rochester Hills. We are monitoring the situation as updates continue to come in and are in contact with local authorities.

The city of Rochester Hills is located approximately 25 miles north of Detroit.

Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter released a statement Sunday saying the shooting is “another heinous display of senseless violence.”

“The Oakland County community stands with the injured and their families and, unfortunately, just as we had to do in Oxford, we will stand with the victims, their families and the community for as long as necessary.” , Coulter said. “I am grateful for the quick response of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Department and first responders, as well as the coordination between our Emergency Operations Center and other responding agencies.”

On Sunday, Bouchard warned that fake GoFundMe pages had been created to benefit the victims. The sheriff said a GoFundMe page created claimed to benefit someone who was not a victim. More than $15,000 had been donated.

“These bottom-feeding bastards are profiting from this tragedy,” Bouchard said in a statement. “They have already shown their character. We are not aware of any legitimate charities collecting donations for these families. I encourage anyone interested in donating to contact the Sheriff's Office first. If there are any legitimate sites, we will notify the public.

A prayer vigil will be held Sunday at Woodside Bible Church in Troy. CBS News Detroit does it broadcast of the vigil at 5 p.m. Woodside's Troy campus, located at 6600 Rochester Rd., will hold the vigil.