8-year-old among several shot at water park in US

Multiple people were wounded after a shooter opened fire at a splash pad in a Detroit suburb where families had gathered to escape the summer heat Saturday afternoon, authorities said.

Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard said he believed there were nine or 10 victims with gunshot wounds, one of them just 8 years old. A possible suspect had been contained in a home nearby, and law enforcement had the home surrounded, Bouchard said.

The shooting happened just after 5 p.m. in the town of Rochester Hills. Bouchard said it appeared to be random, with the shooter driving up to the park, walking to the splash pad and firing as many as 28 times, stopping multiple times to reload.

A handgun and three empty magazines were recovered, the sheriff said.

Police cordoned off the scene of the shooting with tape, and dozens of yellow evidence markers lay on on the ground among colorful folding chairs.

In a social media post, authorities said there was still an active crime scene and asked people to avoid the area. Bouchard said it was safe for those sheltering in the park to head home.

It was not immediately clear if other people or weapons were inside the home with the possible suspect, Bouchard said, and law enforcement officials were trying to make contact with him.

The victims were taken to hospitals, and their conditions were not immediately known.

Rochester Hills is about 15 miles (24 kilometers) south of Oxford, where in 2021 a 15-year-old fatally shot 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.”

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said on the social platform X that she was heartbroken to learn of the shooting and was in touch with local officials.

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