A couple suffered severe gunshot wounds while shielding their two young children during a Michigan water park shooting.
The horrifying attack occurred on Saturday (June 15) just after 5PM at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad in Rochester Hills, as reported by Sky News.
Micayla and Eric Coughlin were with their two children, aged two and seven months, when shots rang out just one minute after arriving at the park.
According to a GoFundMe set up by their friend, the parents "each grabbed a child to protect them" and were shot a combined seven times.
The Coughlin's friend wrote on the donations page that because of the parents' "heroic actions," their children were "protected and able to go home that evening".
Unfortunately, the two have been hospitalized and are undergoing treatment. “Micayla and Eric face a long and unknown recovery from this unthinkable tragedy,” the post continued.
As of this writing, $49,535 has been raised of the $80,000 target. The money will go to "unexpected medical bills" and will help with the "financial burden from being off from their jobs while raising two beautiful young children".
Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard revealed that preliminary information shows that the shooting appeared to be random.
Bouchard said the gunman allegedly drove up to the park, walked to the water recreation area, and then fired up to 28 times, stopping several times to reload.
"People were falling, getting hit, trying to run," he said, per Sky News. "Terrible things that unfortunately all of us in our law enforcement business have seen way too much."
The sheriff added that the gunman, who at least one witness said was using two handguns, was "apparently in no rush" and "just calmly walked back to his car" after the violent ordeal.
According to ABC News, the man was identified by the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office as Michael William Nash. He reportedly died by suicide, police said.
It was confirmed that eight people were injured in the gunfire after checking statistics with local hospitals - which is two less than the original 10 that were reported initially.
The sheriff added that three of the victims came from one family; an eight-year-old boy was shot in the head and is in critical condition while his brother, four, suffered a shot to the thigh.
A 39-year-old woman said to be related to the two boys also sustained gunshot wounds to her abdomen and legs and is in critical condition, he added.
The other six victims were all aged 30 and older, including a 78-year-old man. All were in stable condition, per The New York Post.
Rochester City Mayor Bryan Barnett released a statement in the wake of the tragedy, writing: "This is a horrible scene that has been repeated too many times across our country... Unfortunately touching our city today."
“The Brooklands is a proud neighborhood and our city is equally tight-knit and strong. We will be ok. I would ask all of our residents to continue praying for the victims, their families, and for our community," he added.
Bouchard said the senseless violence was a reminder "that we live in a fragile place," and called it "a gut punch" for the county.
"Our most fervent hope, at least at his point, is that all of the injured victims have speedy recoveries," he said. "None of us... anticipated going into Father's Day weekend with this kind of tragedy that families will be deeply affected by forever."
Our thoughts are with everyone affected by this devastating incident.
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