A quiet day at a splash pad in Rochester Hills, Michigan, turned into a scene of horror on Saturday. An unidentified gunman opened fire on children and families, injuring eight people before taking his own life, police reported.
The shooter, a 42-year-old man, arrived at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad around 5 p.m. He fired 28 shots, reloaded his weapon twice, and then fled the scene, according to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard.
Among the injured were three members of one family: an 8-year-old boy shot in the head and in critical condition, his 4-year-old brother shot in the thigh, and a 39-year-old woman with wounds to her abdomen and legs, also in critical condition. The other five victims, all adults aged 30 and older, including a 78-year-old man and a married couple, were reported to be in stable condition.
Sheriff Bouchard described the gunman as having no criminal history but possibly suffering from mental health issues. “It appears very random. No connectivity to the victims,” he said, calling the incident “a gut punch” for the country.
The crime scene was marked with police tape and evidence markers scattered among the splash pad’s colorful folding chairs. A handgun and three empty magazines were recovered from the scene.
After the shooting, police tracked the suspect to a nearby home. A brief standoff ensued, during which a drone was sent into the house. The gunman was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, as confirmed by Rochester City Mayor Bryan Barnett.
