US: Eight, including two children injured in Michigan shooting; suspect found dead

Michigan [US], June 16 (ANI): At least eight people including two children sustained bullet injuries in an attack at a recreation area in Michigan, US on Saturday (local time).

The suspect behind the attack was later found dead at a nearby home, CNN reported citing officials.

The incident happened at Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills.

Earlier, the police said the victim was contained at a house near the site of the incident.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said that the suspect was found dead at a nearby home.

The victims who sustained injuries in the attack were transported to multiple hospitals with “varying kinds of injuries,” Bouchard said during a Saturday evening news conference.

The Oakland County Sheriff said nine, “maybe 10” victims were injured in the shooting at Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills and transported to multiple hospitals with “varying kinds of injuries.”

The sheriff couldn’t confirm anything on the extent of the injuries, but said was aware that at least one person was out of surgery and “did well,” as reported by CNN.

Michael Bouchard said one of the victims was eight years old, but he could not speak on the age of other victims. He further said that the information is preliminary and the incident is changing “by the second.”

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she was in contact with local officials after the shooting incident.

“I am heartbroken to learn about the shooting in Rochester Hills,” she stated in a post on X. “We are monitoring the situation as updates continue to come in, and are in touch with local officials.”

Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett said, “This is a great community and it’s heartbreaking to see this happen here.”

The first 911 call alerting police regarding the shooting incident was made around 5:11 pm (local time), CNN reported. Bouchard said a Rochester Hills sergeant was listening to a new technology that securely livestreams 911 calls directly to first responders and responded to the site of the incident within two minutes before the call was dispatched.

Authorities have recovered a handgun and three empty magazines at the site of the incident. Oakland County Sheriff said it seems the suspect reached the recreation area, came out of a vehicle and opened fire roughly 20 feet away, reloading multiple times.

He said that the suspect fired “potentially 28 times”, adding that the incident appears to be random and authorities have yet to determine a motivation behind the attack.

Bouchard said that an individual who police believe to be a suspect is contained at a house within a half mile from the site of the incident, which is surrounded by officers.

He said that authorities are bringing in additional assets, including SWAT teams and armoured vehicles to help officers at the crime scene, CNN reported.

He said, “We are trying to talk to that person without response but we, again, believe he is contained there.” He added, “…We are in the process of getting a search warrant for that address.”

The sheriff advised those sheltering in the parks to go home and urged people to remain away from the area if they were sheltering at a nearby place.

Investigators believe there are potentially more weapons in the residence. However, it is unclear if the suspect has access to them, Bouchard said.

The sheriff called the incident a “gut punch,” and stated that the community is still reeling from the 2021 shooting at a high school in Oxford, located 15 miles north of Rochester Hills, where four students were killed, CNN reported.

“We’re not even fully comprehending what happened at Oxford, and now we have another complete tragedy that we’re dealing with,” he added.