Fake GoFundMe collected $15K for purported Rochester Hills splash pad victim before being shut down
(CBS DETROIT) - The Oakland County Sheriff's Office says a fake GoFundMe account claiming to be a victim of the Rochester Hills splash pad shooting accumulated more than $15,000. Authorities are now warning residents of similar accounts.
The account claimed it was collecting money on behalf of Kyle J. Thompson, his pregnant wife and their children, according to a news release from the sheriff's office. However, Sheriff Michael Bouchard said that Thompson and his family were not victims and called the site a "complete fraud."
In a news conference on Monday, Bouchard said the account has since been shut down, and the $15,000 was returned to the donors. In response to the scams, the sheriff's office shared a few accounts on social media that were deemed legitimate.
"I encourage anyone interested in donating to check with the sheriff's office first. If there are legitimate sites, we will let the public know," Bouchard said.
Nine people, including two children, were wounded in the shooting on Saturday at the Brooklands Plaza Splash Pad. Authorities said two of the victims, an 8-year-old boy and a 39-year-old woman from the same family, were listed in critical condition on Sunday. Two other victims have since been released from the hospital.
The sheriff's office said the gunman pulled up in a vehicle a little after 5 p.m. local time, got out and opened fire on the splash pad located at 1585 E. Auburn Road.
The suspect, later identified as 42-year-old Michael William Nash of Shelby Township, died by suicide following a standoff at a home in a nearby community.
Investigators say no motive found yet in shooting
The sheriff's office said investigators have not determined a motive in the shooting. They seized a phone, a phone, a tablet, a MacBook Pro, two PC towers, four thumb drives and two external drives from the shooter's residence.
The shooter also did not have a criminal history. Bouchard said police recovered one handgun at the scene and at least 11 firearms at the residence. The firearm left at the scene was registered to him and purchased legally in 2015, Bouchard said.
Bouchard said the suspect's mother, whom he lived with, has been out of state. Investigators have not had further contact with her, and she potentially retained legal counsel.
Neighbors told CBS News Detroit that the gunman didn't engage with people living near him. A woman who lived next door to the shooter's mother described him as staying in the house and keeping to himself. The neighbor said conversations between her and the shooter's mother were always casual.
