A couple who survived seven gunshots while protecting their children at a Michigan splash pad Saturday are being hailed as heroes.
Micayla and Eric Coughlin arrived at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills (a Detroit suburb) Saturday afternoon, and less than a minute later, a gunman fired at least 28 rounds into the crowd.
As CrimeOnline previously reported, Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said at least nine people were wounded when Michael William Nash, 42, opened fire.
Authorities recovered a 9mm Glock and three magazines at the scene.
The Coughlin couple, according to a GoFundMe page created by a family friend, remains hospitalized after sustaining the gunshots while shielding their children, a 2-year-old and a 7-month-old.
“In total, Micayla and Eric sustained 7 gunshot wounds. They are hospitalized and undergoing necessary treatment,” the GFM page read.
“Because of their heroic actions, their children were protected and able to go home that evening. Micayla and Eric face a long and unknown recovery from this unthinkable tragedy.”
According to the Detroit Free Press, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office has verified the GFM page as legitimate.
The New York Times reports that following the shooting, law enforcement entered a home in Shelby Township, and found Nash deceased. The shooter was believed to be living with his mother and had mental health challenges.
Nash reportedly had no prior police interaction and died by suicide after being “contained” for several hours at the residence. After repeated efforts to contact the suspect were unsuccessful, drones were used and Nash’s body was discovered.
Bouchard said police found what appeared to resemble a semi-automatic rifle on the dining table inside the residence, and added that Nash might have been contemplating a “second chapter.”
Detectives are now probing the suspect’s motive. According to Bouchard, Nash had no ties to the victims.
Meanwhile, a neighbor named Carol told the Detroit Free Press that she knew the suspect and his mother. She said Nash’s mother had been traveling before her son opened fire at the splash park.
“The mom wasn’t so bad, but I got bad vibes from him,” she said.
The victims of the Saturday shooting included a mother and her two children. Her 8-year-old son is in critical condition after being shot in the head. The mother was wounded in the abdomen and leg and is also in critical condition. Her 4-year-old is in stable condition with a wound to the leg.
Others injured were reported to be in stable condition and appeared to be adults, ages 30 or older. One of the victims, a 78-year-old man, who sustained a shot to his abdomen, is in stable condition, according to Detroit Free Press.
“When I got on scene, I started to cry because I know what a splash pad is supposed to be,” Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett said. ” The shooting was a reminder that we live in a fragile place.”
“What normally happens in our city, didn’t happen today.”
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
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[Feature Photo: Coughlin family/GFM]