Shooting at Michigan Splash Pad Leaves at Least 9 Injured

A sunny day at a crowded splash pad in Rochester Hills, Michigan, took a terrifying turn over the weekend when a gunman pulled up to the recreation area, got out of his vehicle and opened fire from roughly 20 feet away.

At least 9 people were shot by Michael William Nash, 42, who was found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at the home he shared with his mother about a half a mile from the splash pad. Police do not have a motive for the shooting, and Nash had no prior criminal record.

According to CNN, the victims included two small children and were taken to four local hospitals with “ varying kinds of injuries .”

“'When I got on scene, I started to cry,' said Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett on Saturday night. 'Because 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.'"

Related: Teacher Recounts Harrowing Moment During an Active School Shooting Where a Student Offered to Take a Bullet For Him

An 8-year-old boy who suffered a gunshot wound to the head is in critical condition, while his 4-year-old brother, who was shot in the thigh, is in stable condition (their 39-year-old mother, shot in the abdomen and leg, is also in critical condition).

As Fox News reported, two of the victims, Micayla and Eric Coughlin , "were shot while trying to protect their daughters , ages 2 and 7 months."

So far, there have been no fatalities as a result of the shooting. However, according to CNN, this was a "particularly violent weekend in America, where two people were killed and 14 others were injured in a shooting at a Juneteenth celebration in Texas, and seven were shot at a car meetup in Massachusetts."

There have been over 200 mass shootings in America this year.

Are Mass Shootings on the Decline in 2024?

Despite the surge in gun violence this past weekend, there have actually been fewer mass shootings in 2024 than there were at the same time in 2023, according to Forbes.

"A sharp decline in mass shooting events in the United States so far this year has led to 91 fewer deaths and 220 fewer injuries than were seen at the same time in 2023, data from the Gun Violence Archive shows, as shootings remain at a three-year low following a spike during the COVID-19 pandemic."

As of May, Florida had the most mass shootings, but Illinois had the highest number of deaths (22 victims killed).

No matter how many mass shootings there have been this year, even one incident like this is far too many . Hopefully the victims of the splash pad violence will be able to recover and move on as soon as possible. A GoFundMe page has been set up for the Coughlin parents, who are currently hospitalized and unable to care for their two young daughters. You can learn more and donate here .

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