Police search for motive in 'random' waterpark shooting
June 16 (UPI) -- Nine people were wounded in what police describe as a "random" shooting Saturday afternoon in Rochester Hills, Mich., and officials are still trying to determine a motive.
Two children and 7 adults were shot in the attack at a recreational splash pad, WDIV-TV reported. The adult victims ranged in age from 30 to 78.
The child victims were described as an 8-year-old boy who was shot in the head and his 4-year-old brother, who was shot in the leg. The older boy remains in critical condition while the younger is in stable condition. Their mother, 39, was also reported to be in stable condition.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said Saturday that Nash pulled up to the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad, left his vehicle, and opened fire from roughly 20 feet away, reloading multiple times.
The suspect fired "potentially 28 times," the sheriff said.
"Under no circumstances is it normal for ice cream cones and flip flops to be strewn amongst blood and bullet casings," Michigan Rep. John James said at a news conference, as reported by CNN.
Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett said he cried when he got to the scene Saturday night.
"I know what a splash pad is supposed to be. It's supposed to be a place where people gather, where families make memories, where people have fun and enjoy a Saturday afternoon and it wasn't today," Barnett said.
Bouchard said the gunman arrived at the splash pad and opened fire with a Glock 9mm handgun.
"It looked chaotic. You could see people kind of just enjoying the day and then it was a scramble," Bouchard said, referring to video of the shooting. "People were falling, getting hit, trying to run."
Bouchard said police will continue to investigate for a motive and look for shell casings, but also said there appeared to be no connection between the shooter and the victims,
The alleged gunman, 42-year white Michael William Nash from Shelby Township, was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in a home he shared with his mother.
There have been at least 220 mass shootings in the U.S. so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. The archive defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are shot, not including the shooter.
