Children among victims shot at Detroit water park
Eight people have been injured after a shooter opened fire at a water park in a Detroit suburb where families gathered to escape the summer heat, authorities say.
At least two of the victims were children, officials said. Authorities initially said they believed as many as 10 people had gunshot wounds from shooting in Rochester Hills on Saturday, but that number was lowered later on after they checked with area hospitals.
The suspected gunman has died by his own hand, police say. Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard earlier said a possible suspect was contained in a nearby home nearby surrounded by law enforcement.
The shooting happened just after 5pm at a city park featuring a recreation area with a non-slip surface where people can turn on sprays and fountains of water to play in.
Bouchard said the shooting appeared to be random, with the shooter driving up to the park, walking to the splash pad and firing as many as 28 times, stopping multiple times to reload.
A handgun and three empty magazines were recovered, the sheriff said.
Police cordoned off the scene of the shooting with tape, and dozens of yellow evidence markers lay on on the ground among colourful folding chairs.
In a social media post, authorities said there was still an active crime scene and asked people to avoid the area. Bouchard said it was safe for those sheltering in the park to head home.
It was not immediately clear if other people or weapons were inside the home with the possible suspect, Bouchard said, and law enforcement officials were trying to make contact with him.
The victims were taken to hospitals, and their conditions were not immediately known.
Police heard the 911 call reporting the shooting as it came in, Bouchard said, because the agency uses a service that simultaneously sends emergency calls to first responders. An officer was at the scene within two minutes, he said.
Rochester Hills is about 24km south of Oxford, where in 2021 a 15-year-old fatally shot four high school students.
Bouchard said Saturday's shooting is "a gut punch" for the county.
"We've gone through so many tragedies," the sheriff said. "You know, we're not even fully comprehending what happened at Oxford. And, you know, now we have another complete tragedy that we're dealing with."
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said on the social platform X that she was heartbroken to learn of the shooting and was in touch with local officials.
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