Couple shot seven times while shielding daughters as gunman opened fire at Michigan splash pad
A Michigan couple, Micayla and Eric Coughlin, were shot seven times on Saturday as they shielded their daughters from a gunman at Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills.
The couple, along with their two daughters, aged two and seven months, had just arrived at the splash pad when the gunman, identified as 42-year-old Michael William Nash of Shelby Township, opened fire on the families present.
Family friend Noel Wakul, who created a GoFundMe page for the Coughlins, described how the family was getting ice cream when the shooting began. In a desperate attempt to protect their children, the Coughlins grabbed their daughters and ran, getting shot seven times in the process. Both parents were hospitalized and face a lengthy recovery.
“Because of their heroic actions, their children were protected and able to go home that evening,” Wakul said.
The Coughlins were among nine victims in the attack. Police reported that an 8-year-old boy was in critical condition with a head wound, a 4-year-old boy was in stable condition with a thigh wound, and a 39-year-old woman was critically injured with wounds to her abdomen and leg.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard described the shooting as "very random" and "bizarre," noting that Nash had no known connections to the victims. Police responded within two minutes, but Nash had already fled to a nearby Shelby Township home, where he later died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. A 9mm Glock and three magazines were recovered at the scene, along with a semi-automatic rifle found with Nash, suggesting potential further plans.
This incident was one of three mass shootings in metro Detroit on Saturday. In Lathrup Village, six people were shot at a house party, with two in critical condition. In Detroit, a woman was killed and four others were injured late Saturday night. All victims in these shootings were teenagers and young adults.
Oakland County Executive Dave Coulter lamented the frequency of such events, stating, “We’re getting all too good at this.” Rochester Hills Mayor Bryan Barnett added, “I can only describe the last 24 hours as a nightmare.”
Residents of Shelby Township expressed their shock and disbelief. Adam Urquhart Sr. said, “This is a safe area, and that’s why I’m so shocked at what happened. When it happens this close to home, it’s hard.”
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