Michael William Nash, 42, is identified as gunman who injured nine people at Rochester Hills splash pad
Michael William Nash, 42, has been identified as the man who blew up a splash pad in Rochester Hills, Michigan, injuring nine people, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office announced Sunday morning.
The shooting took place at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad on Saturday at 5pm, and Nash is said to have fired 28 bullets at the families that day. the Detroit Free Press reported.
The gunman fled the scene to a nearby home within a half-mile of the splash pad, leading to a tense, hours-long standoff that ended when the gunman — described as a 42-year-old white man who lived with his mother — died by suicide.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard told reporters in an impromptu update that Nash had no criminal history and was believed to have mental health issues.
Among the nine people shot were a group of three people who are part of the same family. One was an eight-year-old boy who was shot in the head and remains in critical condition. Another was a four-year-old boy who was injured in the thigh but is stable, while a 39-year-old woman was hit in the abdomen and leg. She remains in critical condition, according to the sheriff’s office.
The oldest victim was a 78-year-old man who was shot in the abdomen and is in stable condition.
Detectives are still investigating Nash’s possible motive as they have not yet found a connection between him and his victims.
Bouchard said at an earlier news conference that the shooting “seems very random.”
“It appears the individual stopped, exited a vehicle, approached the splash pad, opened fire, reloaded, opened fire, reloaded, took off,” Bouchard said.
A Glock 9mm pistol and three associated magazines were found by police at the scene.
Nash died by suicide at a home in Shelby Township after being surrounded by police for several hours following the splash pad attack.
Bouchard said his department made numerous unsuccessful attempts to contact the suspect, after which they sent drones to investigate the home. Then Nash was found dead.
Even more chilling, a semi-automatic weapon was found on the kitchen table in the home where Nash barricaded himself inside. Bouchard suggested that Nash may have plans for a “second chapter.”
“It’s a blow,” Bouchard said at an earlier press conference. ‘We don’t fully understand what happened in Oxford and now we are dealing with another complete tragedy.’
The city-run splash pad faces Auburn Road and is located between a T-Mobile phone store and Mozzarella’s, a pizzeria, west of the plaza.
Streets near the splash pad park were closed by police and emergency responders Saturday evening.
Michigan Congressman John James said he was in downtown Huntington Place for former President Donald Trump’s speech to Turning Point USA when he heard news of the shooting and rushed to the scene to lend support.
“In this country, especially in Rochester Hills, under no circumstances should fathers spend Father’s Day in a hospital,” he said.
‘We are doing everything we can to help families in need. And (I want to) appeal to the first responders who have limited further damage and who are still at risk to find a solution to this crisis.”
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer added in a tweet: “I am heartbroken to hear about the Rochester Hills shooting. We are monitoring the situation as updates continue to come in and are in contact with local officials.”