Authorities intensify investigation following seemingly unprovoked gunfire at Michigan recreation center, leaving nine injured
A armed individual pulled up to the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in a vehicle, exited, and began firing a Glock 9 mm handgun approximately 20 feet away, reloading multiple times, as per Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard. The suspect reportedly fired nearly 28 rounds.
Representative John James stated at a press conference, "Under no circumstances should ice cream cones, flip flops, and blood along with bullet casings be scattered together."
The suspect, a 42-year-old man yet to be named by authorities, was discovered with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at a nearby residence after police followed the weapon used in the shooting to an address half a mile from the crime scene, Bouchard announced at a news conference Saturday.
The victims, including two small children and their mother, sustained injuries in the shooting and were taken to various local hospitals with varying degrees of injuries, according to Bouchard.
Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett stated, "When I arrived on the scene, I began to cry because I know what a splash pad is meant to be. It's a place where families gather, create memories, and enjoy themselves. Today, it wasn't that."
An 8-year-old boy is in critical condition following a gunshot wound to the head, while his 4-year-old brother, shot in the thigh, is stable. Their 39-year-old mother, with wounds to the abdomen and leg, is also critical.
Six other gunshot victims, including three women and three men ranging in age from 30 to 78 years old, were in stable condition Saturday night.
The incident appears to be "random" as the suspect has "no connection" to the victims, and authorities have yet to determine a motive for the attack, the sheriff stated.
The suspect did not have a prior criminal history, Bouchard stated.
"We'll be searching for any evidence ... that would offer insight into what may be driving this individual prior to this terrible event," Bouchard said.
Officials claim the shooting took place at a time when the community was still coping with two mass shootings in the state in recent years. In February 2023, a gunman killed three Michigan State University students and injured five more. Two years prior, a teenager killed four students at an Oxford, Michigan, high school in 2021.
"We're still struggling to grasp what occurred at Oxford, and now we have another devastating incident to deal with," Bouchard said.
The shooting adds to the roughly 220 mass shootings that have taken place in the country this year, as per the Gun Violence Archive. The archive, like CNN, defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, omitting the shooter.
The unfolding of the shooting at the crowded splash pad
The gunman arrived at the splash pad and began firing with his Glock 9 mm handgun, according to Bouchard.
"The scene was chaotic. People were simply enjoying their day and then it became a mad dash," Bouchard said, referring to video footage of the shooting. "People were falling, getting hit, trying to run."
Detectives recovered 28 shell casings at the scene, according to a press release from the sheriff's office.
"He started firing as soon as he got out of his car from the base of the steps, climbed the steps, reloaded, and then fired from the top of the steps in the splash pad area before leaving in a leisurely manner, just casual, as if he had all the time in the world, walked back to his car," Bouchard said, referencing evidence from the scene.
The first 911 call reporting the incident was made around 5:11 p.m. Bouchard stated that a Rochester Hills sergeant arrived at the scene within two minutes – before the call was officially dispatched. By that point, the suspect had already fled the scene, according to Bouchard.
Authorities found a 9-millimeter Glock semiautomatic handgun and three empty magazines at the scene, the sheriff said at a press conference Saturday.
The suspect's home breached, suspect found deceased
Following the shooting, police traced the weapon found at the scene to a nearby home, where they found a vehicle matching the one that fled from the shooting scene, according to the sheriff.
The home, within half a mile from the crime scene, was encircled by officers, SWAT teams, and armored vehicles, the sheriff said.
The suspect was unknown to authorities until they conducted a swift investigation and identified the individual believed to be involved based on evidence from the crime scene.
Police established a containment perimeter around the home within 45 minutes to an hour, according to Bouchard. There was "an acknowledgment that we were there and we heard or saw him," Bouchard said.
After attempts to contact the suspect, law enforcement "breached the home and deployed drones to examine the home," and located the deceased suspect, Bouchard said during a media conference Saturday night.
Investigators believed there were potentially more weapons in the home but it was unclear if the suspect had accessed them, according to Bouchard. Authorities said Saturday that they had been attempting to secure a search warrant for the home where the suspect was found.
Police later found a handgun next to the deceased suspect inside the home. A drone that flew into the home while police surrounded it also found what appeared to be an "AR-platform" firearm on the kitchen table, Bouchard said Saturday night.
"It wouldn't surprise me – because keeping a weapon like that on the kitchen table isn't common – that there was probably something else, another chapter, potentially," Bouchard said.
Investigation is continual as law enforcement strives to uncover potential digital or physical evidence that could provide insights into the situation, and construct a chronology of the shooting events. Relevant information the suspect might have posted on social media or stored on his devices will also be investigated, officials announced.
The sheriff expressed concerns about the absence of any apparent link between the victims and the shooting location. The suspect didn't reside in Rochester Hills; yet, he went to a park there, Bouchard stated.
Authorities have retrieved video footage from nearby cameras and are searching for bullet remnants, Bouchard added.
rá> The community remains shaken following the shooting in Oxford, which took place at a high school, located just 15 miles north of Rochester Hills.
The sheriff labeled the recent event as a "hard hit," emphasizing the community's ongoing shock following the Oxford shooting from last year.
"No one in this room, this community, or this nation expected to commence the Father's Day weekend with a tragedy like this one that will leave indelible marks on families," Bouchard stated during a press conference on Saturday evening.
Governor Gretchen Whitmer voiced her condolences in a statement on X, expressing that she has been in touch with local authorities following the shooting.
"My heart is heavy upon learning about the Rochester Hills shooting," she wrote. "We will continue to monitor the situation as updates emerge, and are maintaining contact with local leaders."
CNN’s Emma Tucker contributed to this report.
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Despite the ongoing investigation, authorities are urging the community to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to local law enforcement.
In light of the incident, US Representative Debbie Dingell called for stricter gun control measures, stating, "Enough is enough."
