ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. –
Gunfire erupted at a splash pad in the Detroit suburb of Rochester Hills as families were frolicking in the water to beat the summer heat, leaving multiple people wounded, authorities said.
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard told reporters that “it sounds like we have nine, maybe 10 victims with gunshot wounds, victims of varying kinds of injuries.”
Authorities said they believed they had a possible suspect contained in a home nearby. A handgun and three empty magazines were recovered, according to the sheriff.
“So, preliminarily, it looks like the suspect fired potentially 28 times, reloading multiple times,” Bouchard said.
Earlier the Detroit News quoted Stephen Huber, a spokesperson for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, as saying “it’s five shot and maybe six.”
In a social media post, authorities said there was still an active crime scene. People were asked to avoid the area.
Officials did not immediately provide additional information, and the condition of the victims wasn’t immediately known.
Rochester Hills is about 15 miles (24 kilometres) south of Oxford, where in 2021 a 15-year-old shot and killed 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.”