ROCHESTER HILLS (WWJ) — The gunman who opened fire at a splash pad in Rochester Hills late Saturday afternoon has died following a long standoff with police.
The shooting, which Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard described as "random," left nine people injured, including two children, ages 4 and 8, according to the sheriff's office.
Police on Sunday identified the dead gunman as 42-year-old Michael William Nash of Shelby Township.
Around 5:11 p.m. Saturday Nash got out of a car and fired as many as 28 shots at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad on Auburn Road near John R., according to Bouchard. The suspect is believed to have reloaded his Glock 9mm handgun twice before fleeing the scene in a car.
Bouchard said the suspect fired from the steps of the splash pad, about 20 feet away from the play area.
At a late night press conference Bouchard said an 8-year-old boy, a 4-year-old boy and a 39-year-old woman all from the same family were among the victims. The 8-year-old, who was shot in the head, and 39-year-old woman were listed in critical condition, while the 4-year-old was said to be in stable condition.
A 30-year-old woman, a 30-year-old man, a 37-year-old woman, another 39-year-old woman, a 40-year-old man and a 78-year-old man were all listed in stable condition.
Authorities initially said as many as 10 people had been shot at the splash pad, but that number was revised after checking with area hospitals and learning one of the victims had previously been counted twice, Bouchard said late Saturday night.
Bouchard said investigators recovered a Glock 9mm at the scene of the shooting that was registered to Nash. That information led them to a nearby mobile home park, where police found a car that matched the suspect vehicle description. SWAT teams and crisis negotiators surrounded the home in the area of Dequindre and Hamlin Road in nearby Shelby Township.
Bouchard said Nash died from what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound from a handgun, but the medical examiner's office would conduct an autopsy. While some details remain unclear, it is believed the suspect took his own life while police had the home surrounded. Bouchard said authorities didn't have direct communication with the suspect, but had some sort of "contact" while trying to reach him.
Bouchard said Nash is believed to have lived in the home with his mother. A handgun was found next to his body and an assault rifle was found on a dining room table.
Bouchard said the suspect has no known criminal history.
The victims are being treated at least four different hospitals. Victim advocates and detectives are going to all of the hospitals, Bouchard said.
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 individuals who were present during the time of the shooting Saturday evening. No appointment is necessary.
“It appears very random at this point,” Bouchard said earlier Saturday. “No connectivity to the victims.”
The Oakland County Sheriff's Office issued an emergency alert Saturday evening at 5:53 to residents of Rochester Hills of an "active shooter located near Spencer Park" and to "AVOID area and seek shelter.”
WWJ’s Luke Sloan arrived on the scene early this evening. He described it as “eerie" and "very quiet” with “helicopters flying overhead."
“It’s a gut punch, obviously, for us here in Oakland County,” Bouchard said. “We’ve gone through so many tragedies. We’re not even fully comprehending what happened at Oxford and now we have another complete tragedy.”