11 guns found in home of Rochester Hills splash pad shooting suspect; motive unclear

At least 11 firearms were found in the home of the suspect in Saturday's Rochester Hills splash pad shooting that injured nine people, including children, according to Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard on Monday.

Michael William Nash, 42, of Shelby Township, believed the government was tracking him, Bouchard said during a news conference in Pontiac.

Family members told detectives that he'd walk around his home with a gun, saying things like "shut your phone off, we're being watched, they are listening to us," Bouchard said.

Among the weapons police discovered in Nash's home were rifles, shotguns and pistols. When officers first entered the home, they found an assault-style rifle sitting on the kitchen table.

Nash's motive was still unknown, Bouchard said. Detectives have not found any notes or manifestos, or any explanation.

“We may not be able to find one," he said.

Nash is accused of unleashing 36 rounds — an increase from 28 rounds police previously reported — toward families at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad who were enjoying a summer day, then "calmly" leaving to his Shelby Township home. He reportedly died in the home by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Detectives recovered a gun, which Bouchard said was legally obtained in 2015, and two magazines at the scene of the shootings, along with numerous electronics, including a phone, laptop, tablet and hard drives. Bouchard didn't elaborate on why those items were left behind but he said police have searched the phone but found nothing to indicate a motive. The other items are still under investigation.

Bouchard said Nash is believed to have brought two guns to the splash pad; one that he left at the scene, another he used to shoot himself later.

Among the victims: a husband and wife who successfully shielded their two young daughters from the bullets, and in the process, were shot a total of seven times, and a mother and her two young sons, one of which, an 8-year-old, was shot in the head.

The conditions of the victims have not worsened, Bouchard said. The 8-year-old is making "amazing progress," he said.

The youngest victim is 4. The oldest is 77 or 78.

There is no known connection between the gunman and the victims, Bouchard said. Nash has no criminal record and is believed to have struggled with mental illness.

Nash's sister declined comment when a Detroit Free Press reporter spoke with her at her home Monday.

The tragedy that unfolded at the Rochester Hills splash pad was one of three mass shootings that occurred in Michigan on Saturday, all in metro Detroit. In Lathrup Village, six people were shot at a house party shortly after midnight. Two were in critical condition. In Detroit, a woman was killed and four other people were shot late Saturday night. The victims in both shootings were teenagers and young adults.

Bouchard, at the news conference, emphasized the need for more mental health resources, for community members as well as law enforcement officers.

“I can't bang the drum enough about mental health," Bouchard said. "We need help."

Andrea Sahouri covers criminal justice for the Detroit Free Press. She can be contacted at 313-264-0442 or asahouri@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Rochester Hills shooting: Michael William Nash had 11 guns in home