Rochester Hills Mayor Shares Plans to Help Splash Pad Shooting Victims

As metro Detroit continues to respond to Saturday’s mass shooting at a Rochester Hills splash pad, Mayor Brian K. Barnett said his top priority is helping the victims recover.

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Barnett joins in Metro This week, he spoke about his feelings about the tragic incident and his support for the community in its aftermath, and also reflected on what it felt like arriving on the scene after the shooting.

“When I walked up and saw the splash pad, tears just started rolling down my face. I just didn’t know what to do,” Barnett said. “I wondered who could do this and, honestly, it just gave me hope and courage because I saw people coming together and the emergency responders miraculously understanding and doing their jobs.”

Oakland County and the Oakland Community Health Network are offering counseling services and other mental health resources throughout this week for victims, their families and anyone who was at the scene of the shooting. No appointment is necessary.

“Our city is strong,” Burnett said. “Our community will not be defined by this incident, but I believe our response will define us, and that’s what I’m focused on.”

The shooting came just three years after the mass shooting at Oxford High School, about 15 miles north of Rochester Hills in Oakland County. There have been more than 225 mass shootings in the United States this year alone, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

For more information about mental health services available through OCHN, visit oaklandchn.org

To listen to the full interview with Barnett, use the media player above.

Other Headings Metro June 17, 2024:

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