Nine injured in 'random' shooting at wading pool, two seriously injured; suspect found dead in Shelby Twp. home

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard and Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett provide initial information on a mass shooting at a wading pool in the city on Saturday, June 15, 2024. (Stephen Frye / MediaNews Group)

On Saturday afternoon, nine people were shot at a paddling pool in Rochester Hills. According to police, it was apparently a random shooting.

Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said the suspect is believed to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the Dequindre Estates neighborhood of Shelby Township.

He said the suspect was a 42-year-old man who lived in the house with his mother, who was not home but had been notified.

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Bouchard had previously provided a preliminary report on what happened along Auburn Road in the southeast of the city. At the time, he said the information was still very vague and preliminary as detectives were searching for victims at various hospitals. During a late-night press conference, he updated the number of injured from eight to nine, noting that some had driven themselves to the hospital and that it had taken some time to confirm the details.

It was at 5:11 p.m. on Saturday, June 15, when a sheriff’s sergeant heard an initial report of a shooting via a scanner app called Live 9-1-1 and immediately responded.

Bouchard said in his 7:30 p.m. press conference that investigators have begun assessing the full impact of the incident. The number of victims, their ages and their conditions are being determined. Investigators and victim advocates spoke with people at four area hospitals.

“One of the people shot is 8 (years old),” Bouchard said.

Two Oakland County Sheriff’s vehicles sped away from the scene after 7 p.m. Shortly earlier on Saturday, the sheriff said the suspect had been arrested at a nearby home. (Stephen Frye / MediaNews Group)

Meanwhile, deputies and police officers were at a home where the suspect is believed to be living and attempted to speak with him.

“We believe we have a suspect nearby,” Bouchard said. “We have surrounded the house. We are trying to speak to the person, but there is no response.”

The sheriff’s office later announced that the suspect was arrested at a nearby home in neighboring Shelby Township.

According to their initial information, the suspect drove into the area in a vehicle and began firing into the water play area with a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol.

Officers found the discarded weapon along with three empty magazines.

“It appears the suspect may have fired 28 times and reloaded multiple times,” Bouchard said. “It appears the individual stopped, exited the vehicle, walked toward the body of water, opened fire, reloaded and opened fire,” Bouchard said. “It appears random, no connection to the victims.”

The shooter was about six meters away from the area where the victims were located.

“It appears to be a targeted shooting,” Bouchard said.

This was the second mass shooting in Oakland County on Saturday. Police in Lathrup Village reported that six people were injured in a shooting on the grounds of a house party shortly after midnight.

Media lined up on Auburn Road in Rochester Hills as police investigated a mass shooting and searched for the suspected gunman. (Stephen Frye / MediaNews Group)

Fifteen hours later, a massive police presence with many Oakland County Sheriff’s Office units deployed along Auburn Road between Dequindre and John R Roads, an area that has seen streetscape improvements in recent years, including a wading pool and a scenic pedestrian mall. Nearby is a food court, Brain Freeze, which sells soft serve ice cream, hot dogs and other treats, adding to the area’s pedestrian appeal.

The area is adjacent to one of Rochester Hills’ middle schools, and within about a mile are two of the city’s parks – Spencer Park and Borden Park, both on John R Road – as well as Holy Family Regional School. Just over a week ago, classes at Rochester Community Schools ended for the school year, and just a day earlier, the Rochester Adams girls’ soccer team won the state Division 1 title.

“This is obviously a gut punch for us here in Oakland County,” Bouchard said when asked about another mass murder. “We’ve seen so many tragedies. What happened in Oxford (and the high school shooting) is something we still don’t fully comprehend.”

The city’s mayor urged residents to avoid the area, especially as police units worked to apprehend the shooter and as Dequindre Road was later closed by a large police presence after dark.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett told reporters. “I’m grateful for the immediate response from the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. I can’t imagine what it’s like to arrive at a place like this.”

“Our thoughts are with the families right now. This is a great community and it’s heartbreaking to see this happen.”

Many social media reports initially identified Spencer Park as the scene of the shooting, but more recent reports said the shooting occurred at the splash pad and that the park may have been searched for the shooter.

U.S. Rep. John James, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard and Mayor Bryan Barnett of Rochester Hills address the media to deliver the first information about a mass shooting at a wading pool on Saturday, June 15, 2024. (Stephen Frye / MediaNews Group)

Some people have been asked to seek shelter in some places.

“The curfew has been lifted,” the city of Rochester Hills posted on Facebook at 8:45 p.m. “We continue to ask people to avoid the Auburn area between Dequindre and Culbertson.”

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