US man opened fire at a children’s water park injuring many, including children. The miscreant, who was hiding in the nearby house was found dead, said Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard. The incident happened at Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills. Police said the “nine or ten” victims were rushed to the hospital.
The attacker was found at the home where he lived with his mother after police tracked the weapon from the shooting scene to the address about a half mile from the crime scene, the sheriff said at a news conference Saturday night.
One of the victims, an 8-year-old boy, sustained a gunshot wound to the head and is in critical condition. A 4-year-old had a wound to the thigh and is in stable condition.
Taking to their X (formerly twitter) account, the police called the site an active crime scene and asked people to stay away from the area.
We had an active shooter at the splash pad on Auburn in Rochester Hills. That is still an active crime scene and we potentially have the suspect contained nearby, but we asked for the moment people stay away from the area. We have numerous wounded victims. More to follow.
— Oakland County Sheriff’s Office (@oaklandsheriff) June 15, 2024
According to the Oakland County Sheriff, the suspect reached the splash pad around 5 pm on Saturday and opened fire after he got down from his vehicle. The suspect reloaded his gun several times as he fired as many as 28 times, said the sheriff.
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The motive behind the attack is not known yet. Police believe the attack to be random.
Bryan K. Barnet, Rochester Hills Mayor, said that the police have secured the site. He said, “Rochester Hills Fire Department is on the scene and the scene is secure. We appreciate everyone’s patience as we work through this. Prayers are with all those involved. We will share more updates as we have information”.
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The sheriff called the incident a “gut punch”, and added that he community is still recovering from the 2021 shooting at a high school near Rochester Hills, where four students were killed. “We’re not even fully comprehending what happened at Oxford, and now we have another complete tragedy that we’re dealing with,” he said.
The shooting attack in US has increased recently. In 2024 alone, Washington has witnessed over 215 mass shootings.