(WWJ) — As police release more details surrounding the mass shooting at a Rochester Hills splash pad last weekend, officials are offering ways to support the victims and their families, as well as mental health options for those impacted by the shooting.
A community fundraising effort handled by the Community Foundation of Greater Rochester has been posted on the city’s website. Donations can be made via PayPal to the foundation and will go directly to victims of the shooting.
“I don’t believe the incident will define our community, I believe our response will, and this is a way the community can respond,” Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett said during a Monday afternoon press conference updating the case.
Monday’s press conference came a day after Sheriff Mike Bouchard said a phony GoFundMe page was found online, made by “bottom-feeding scumbags.” A GoFundMe spokesperson confirmed that the fake fundraiser has been removed, and that the donors were refunded.
“Our hearts go out to the Rochester Hills community and to all of those affected by this senseless tragedy. At GoFundMe, being a safe and trusted place to give and receive help is our top priority," reads a statement provided by GoFundMe.
The sheriff’s office has since verified a pair of legitimate GoFundMe pages set up by friends and family members of two families who were victims of the shooting.
One of the accounts was created by friends of victims Micayla and Eric Coughlin of Rochester Hills. According to the GoFundMe page, the Coughlins had just arrived at the splash pad with their young daughters and bought ice cream when the gunfire rang out Saturday.
"In an effort to save their children, they each grabbed a child to protect them," the fundraising page said. In total, the married couple were shot seven times, but neither child was hit, according to the page. The funds raised will help the Coughlins with unexpected medical bills. As of 6 p.m. Sunday more than $80,000 had been raised for the Coughlin family.
Another GoFundMe page has been organized by relatives of the Bebout family, who were injured in the shooting, and verified by the sheriff’s office. The 39-year-old mother and her 8-year-old son remained in critical condition Monday afternoon. Their 4-year-old son was listed in stable condition. The page is organized by Tiffany Holcomb, the aunt of the young boys.
Bouchard said at Monday’s press conference the 8-year-old boy has made “amazing progress,”
Links to both GoFundMe pages are also posted on the city’s website.
In addition to fund raising efforts in the wake of the shooting, officials are emphasizing the importance of mental health services.
“I can't bang the drum enough about mental health," Bouchard said at the press conference. "We need help."
The city of Rochester Hills released the following list of resources for impacted community members:
Family Assistance Center
Anyone impacted by the events is invited to receive free counseling this week. Oakland Community Health Network (OCHN) has opened a Family Assistance Center at the Rochester Hills Department of Public Services, 511 E. Auburn Road. Counselors will be available from 4-8 p.m. Monday through Friday. No appointment is necessary. Signage by the road indicates the entrance to the center.
Barnett said services at the Family Assistance Center will be extended beyond this week “if the need is there.”
On Call Counseling
Individuals unable to visit the Family Assistance Center may use the following mental health resources:
Oakland County Nurse on Call
800-848-5533
8:30 a.m. to 5 pm Monday through Friday.
Michigan Crisis and Access Line
Dial 988, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
OCHN Non-Emergency Behavioral Health Access
248-464-6363
8 a.m. - 8 p.m. Monday through Friday