ROCHESTER HILLS (WWJ) — Police are continuing to investigate what led a 42-year-old Shelby Township man to open fire on a crowded splash late Saturday afternoon in Rochester Hills.
The mass shooting left nine people injured, including two children. The suspected shooter is believed to have taken his own life after police had him “contained” inside a mobile home not far from the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad.
While the community mourns, Mayor Bryan Barnett said the response from law enforcement and community members has been inspiring.
“I think sometimes the very worst situations tend to bring out the very best in people,” Barnett said live on WWJ Sunday morning. “We saw a lot of things happen yesterday and you never know what’s gonna happen until you’re tried and tested. The Oakland County Sheriff's Department officers, they did a tremendous job, the fire department folks; we had over 100 people working both scenes.”
Barnett said community members “came out immediately” with their support. Neighbors near the splash pad rushed to the scene shortly after the shooting with their own tourniquets, while hours later other community members set up meal trains in an effort to support each other.
“You never want your community to have to go through this. I mean, my heart breaks for my city this morning, but I know that we are resilient and I know the Brooklands neighborhood is a proud area and they’ll begin to recover quickly,” Barnett said.
Barnett said first and foremost his thoughts go out to the nine victims, one family in particular. An 8-year-old boy was shot in the head, while his 4-year-old brother and 39-year-old mother were also shot. The mother and her older son were both listed in critical condition as of Saturday night.
Sheriff Mike Bouchard told WWJ live on-air Sunday morning that none of the victims’ status changed overnight.
“Which probably in the first 24 (hours) is a good thing because that’s oftentimes when gunshot wounds potentially can go south, and that hasn’t happened so far,” Bouchard said. “We’re praying for a speedy recovery and hopefully a turn in the right direction.”
Authorities have not identified any of the victims, as of Sunday morning.
The shooter has been identified as Michael William Nash of Shelby Township. Bouchard said it appears the suspect had no connection to any of the victims and the shooting appeared to be "completely random."
Authorities recovered a 9mm handgun at the splash pad that was registered to the suspect, leading police to a mobile home park in Shelby Township. Officials believe that’s where he lived with his mother, who was not home at the time.
Police swarmed the area and had the home surrounded not long after the shooting. While the suspect was “contained” in the home, police had little contact with him, but did confirm he was inside. At some point, the gunman took his own life with another handgun. Police also found an AR-style rifle inside the home on a dining room table.
“Because we had quick containment on him, that if he had planned to do anything else -- and it wouldn’t surprise me because having that on the kitchen table is not an everyday activity -- that there was probably something else, a second chapter potentially,” Bouchard said during a press conference Saturday night.
Mental health services from Oakland Community Health Network will be available from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Rochester Hills Department of Public Services building at 511 E. Auburn Road, for victims, their families, and people who were present during the time of the shooting Saturday evening. No appointment is necessary.
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest developments. >>> LISTEN LIVE!