A Michigan couple suffered severe gunshot wounds while trying to shield their two young children from a gunman at a neighborhood splash park Saturday night.
Micayla and Eric Coughlin were trying to spend a nice evening out with their two children, ages 2 and 7 months, grabbing ice cream and heading to the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad.
But within just one minute of arriving at the splash park, the Coughlins started to hear gunfire, according to a GoFundMe set up by their friend.
‘In an effort to save their children, they each grabbed a child to protect them,’ it says
‘Because of their heroic actions, their children were protected and able to go home that evening.’
Micayla and Eric were not as fortunate, however, and suffered a total of seven gunshot wounds, which they are being treated for at a local hospital.
Also injured in the attack were Eric and Micayla Coughlin, who were attempting to shield their two young children
Other victims of the shooting at around 5pm in the Denver suburb of Richmond Hills include the wife of a city employee, who was at the splash pad with 14 family members and friends – three of whom were struck by bullets, the Detroit News reports.
The unidentified woman suffered a broken arm and a bullet wound in her abdomen.
‘When I talked to her husband], he was in shock, but he is grateful his family is OK and is focused on supporting them,’ Mayor Bryan Barnett said.
![In total, nine people were shot at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad Saturday evening](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/16/23/86196563-13536339-image-a-4_1718576850219.jpg)
In total, nine people were shot at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad Saturday evening
![Police say the gunman drove to the splash pad, and fired a total of 28 rounds with a 9mm pistol, before fleeing the scene and taking his own life](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/16/23/86197213-13536339-image-a-7_1718577327374.jpg)
Police say the gunman drove to the splash pad, and fired a total of 28 rounds with a 9mm pistol, before fleeing the scene and taking his own life
Police have said the oldest victim was a 78-year-old man who was shot in the abdomen and is in stable condition, while the youngest was a four-year-old boy who was wounded in the thigh. He is also in stable condition.
His mother, a 39-year-old woman, was hit in the abdomen and leg. She is still in critical condition, according to the sheriff.
Meanwhile, an eight-year-old boy was shot in the head and remains in critical condition.
In total, authorities say gunman Michael William Nash, 42, shot nine people at the splash pad Saturday evening, before fleeing the scene and taking his own life.
No other casualties were reported.
![Police would later also find the vehicle he allegedly drove to the splash pad with at a property nearby, and sent a drone to the gunman's home](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/16/23/86196527-13536339-image-a-6_1718577207405.jpg)
Police would later also find the vehicle he allegedly drove to the splash pad with at a property nearby, and sent a drone to the gunman’s home
Detectives are still investigating Nash’s possible motive because they haven’t found a connection between him and his victims.
‘In terms of the “why,” I don´t know,’ Bouchard said.
He noted in an earlier press conference that the shooting ‘appears very random.’
‘It appears like the individual pulled up, exited a vehicle, approached the splash pad, opened fire, reloaded, opened fire, reloaded, left,’ he said.
The suspect was ‘apparently in no rush. Just calmly walked back to his car,’ he added.
At the scene, a Glock 9mm handgun and three corresponding magazines were found by cops.
In total, Nash allegedly fired a total of 28 rounds with a 9mm pistol, and three empty magazines were recovered by investigators, Fox 2 Detroit reported.
Police would later also find the vehicle he allegedly drove to the splash pad with at a property nearby, and sent a drone to Nash’s home, where they found him dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
While there, cops also found an assault rifle on the kitchen table of the home, which Bouchard feared would have been used for the ‘next chapter’ of the shooting spree, but the speed at which police surrounded him prevented further chaos.
![Investigators also discovered an assault rifle on the kitchen table of the home, which officials feared would have been used for the 'next chapter' of the shooting spree before it was thwarted](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/06/16/23/86175859-13536339-Investigators_also_discovered_an_assault_rifle_on_the_kitchen_ta-a-9_1718577387525.jpg)
Investigators also discovered an assault rifle on the kitchen table of the home, which officials feared would have been used for the ‘next chapter’ of the shooting spree before it was thwarted
‘It’s a gut-punch,’ Bouchard said at a news conference. ‘We’re not fully comprehending what happened at Oxford and now we have another complete tragedy that we’re dealing with.’
Michigan Congressman John James said he was downtown at Huntington Place for former President Donald Trump’s address to Turning Point USA when he heard news of the shooting, and raced to the scene to lend support.
‘Under no circumstances in this country, particularly in Rochester Hills, should fathers be spending Father’s Day in a hospital,’ he said.
‘We’re doing everything we possibly can to help the families in need. And (I want to) give a shout-out to first responders who mitigated further damage and who are still in harm’s way to bring resolution to this crisis.’