ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – At least nine people were injured when a gunman opened fire Saturday evening at a splash pad in the Detroit suburb of Rochester Hills, authorities said. It is believed that the suspect was barricaded in a nearby house.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said at a news conference that the male suspect pulled up in a vehicle shortly after 5 p.m. local time, got out and opened fire at Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad, located at 1585 E. Auburn Rd.
“It appears that the individual stood up, exited a vehicle, approached the spatter, opened fire, reloaded, opened fire, reloaded and left,” Bouchard said . “At this point it seems very random… There is no connectivity with the victims.”
Bouchard said nine to 10 people were shot and at least one child, an 8-year-old boy, was in critical condition. At least four area hospitals were treating victims “with different types of injuries,” Bouchard said. At least one of the patients underwent surgery.
The suspect, whose name has not been released, is believed to be “contained” in a home less than a half-mile from the splash zone, Bouchard said.
“We determined who we thought was potentially involved from some of the evidence at the scene very quickly, we immediately went there,” Bouchard said. “There was a vehicle there that matched what was described as a vehicle leaving the scene. So we set up a quick perimeter. And it appears the officers at the scene heard or saw the individual with who were trying to communicate.”
The gunman fired potentially 28 times and reloaded several times, Bouchard said. A Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun was recovered from the scene, along with three empty magazines.
“It's a blow, obviously, to us here in Oakland County. We've been through so much tragedy,” Bouchard said. “We don't even fully understand what happened at Oxford (Oxford High School Shooting) and now we have another full-blown tragedy we're dealing with.”
The city of Rochester Hills is located about 25 miles north of Detroit.
