On Saturday, a gunman opened fire on the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills, wounding a Michigan couple seven times while they were defending their daughters.
Micayla and Eric Coughlin, along with their two daughters, ages two and seven months, had been at Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad for less than a minute when a gunman, identified by authorities as Michael William Nash, 42, of Shelby Township, pulled up in his vehicle and began firing at the surrounding families.
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Family friend Noel Wakul posted a comment on the Coughlins’ GoFundMe page, stating that the family was enjoying ice cream when they heard gunshots. According to the message, as the shots fired, the Coughlins grabbed their girls and fled to protect them.
Wakul continued by stating that the Coughlins sustained seven gunshot wounds while escaping with their daughters. The nightmare led to their admission to the hospital.
Wakul added, “Their heroic actions protected their children and allowed them to return home that evening.” Micayla and Eric “face a long and unknown recovery from this unthinkable tragedy.”
According to authorities, the gunman shot nine people, including the Coughlins.
Police reported that additional casualties included an 8-year-old child in critical condition with a head wound and a 4-year-old boy in stable condition with a thigh wound. Shots to the abdomen and leg left a 39-year-old lady in critical condition.
At a press conference, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard described the shooting as “very random” and “bizzare,” noting that Nash has no known connections to the victims.
He said cops arrived two minutes after receiving reports of shootings. When they arrived, he claimed the gunman had already fled and was hiding in a nearby Shelby Township residence. They seized a 9mm Glock and three magazines at the scene.
At his Shelby Township residence, authorities later discovered Nash dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Police discovered a semi-automatic gun alongside Nash’s body, implying that he may have planned a “second chapter.”
The incident was one of three mass shootings in Michigan on Saturday, all in the metro Detroit area.
Six people were shot at a house party in Lathrup Village just after midnight on Saturday. Two were in critical condition. A woman lost her life in Detroit late Saturday night, while four others sustained gunshot wounds. Both shootings claimed the lives of young people and teenagers.
“We’re all getting too good at this,” Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter remarked at a news conference on Sunday.
“I can only describe the last 24 hours as a nightmare,” Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett concluded.
Meanwhile, Shelby Township residents, where Nash lived, told the Detroit Free Press that they were horrified by the incident.
“This is a safe area, which is why I’m shocked by what happened,” Adam Urquhart Sr. said. “When it happens this close to home, it’s hard.”
