ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – At least nine people were wounded when a gunman opened fire Saturday evening at a splash pad in the Detroit suburb of Rochester Hills, authorities said. The suspect was believed to be barricaded in a home nearby.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said in a news briefing the male suspect pulled up in a vehicle, got out and opened fire on the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad, located at 1585 E. Auburn Rd.
“It appears like the individual pulled up, exited a vehicle, approached the splash pad, opened fire, reloaded, opened fire, reloaded, left,” Bouchard said. “It appears very random at this point…No connectivity to the victims.”
Bouchard said nine to 10 people were shot, and at least one child, an 8-year-old, was in critical condition. At least four area hospitals were treating victims. Their conditions were not confirmed. At least one of the patients underwent surgery.
The suspect was believed to be “contained” in a house within a half-mile of the splash pad, Bouchard said.
The gunman fired potentially 28 times and reloaded multiple times, Bouchard said. A 9 mm semi-automatic Glock handgun was recovered from the scene, along with three empty magazines.
“It’s a gut punch, obviously, for us here in Oakland County. We’ve gone through so many tragedies,” Bouchard said. “We’re not even fully comprehending what happened at Oxford (Oxford High School shooting) and now we have another complete tragedy that we’re dealing with.”
The city of Rochester Hills is located about 25 miles north of Detroit.
