Nine people, including two children, were injured in a sudden and random mass shooting at a water park near Detroit, Michigan. The incident occurred at Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills, Michigan during a busy summer day when families were enjoying the outdoors.
The shooting happened around 5 pm local time when a man started shooting with a 9mm semiautomatic Glock. He fired numerous shots, possibly up to 28 times. One of the victims was an 8-year-old child critically wounded in the head. After the attack, the shooter calmly returned to his parked vehicle. Police responded quickly with an officer arriving at the scene within two minutes of the first emergency call.
The suspect was later found at a home where he had blocked himself. After attempts to communicate failed, the authorities used a drone to enter the house and later found him dead, likely from suicide. Another weapon was discovered there, indicating that quick action by law enforcement may have prevented further harm.
Sheriff Michael Bouchard called the shooting random and also highlighted the frightening scene as families and children fled in fear. The community is still recovering from previous tragedies like a school shooting in Oxford Township last year, they were deeply affected by this senseless violence.
Local officials and residents were deeply saddened and shocked by the attack. They emphasized how the water park, originally a place for fun and relaxation, had tragically become a scene of violence. Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett shared his emotional response to witnessing the aftermath, lamenting how a place meant for community enjoyment had been disrupted by such a terrible event.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer offered condolences and reflected a nationwide concern about the frequent occurrence of mass shootings in the United States. The incident added to the ongoing debate on gun control with renewed calls for stricter measures in Congress, especially as the Gun Violence Archive reported more than 215 mass shootings that year.