ROCHESTER HILLS, Mich. (TND) — The sheriff investigating the weekend shooting at a wading pool in suburban Detroit is warning citizens about fake GoFundMe pages supporting victims.
Sheriff Michael Bouchard of the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office noted that officials “have not independently proven the authenticity of any charity or GoFundMe effort to raise donations for the nine victims. “
Bouchard, those notorious characters, “bastards who feed on the bottom” who “attack this tragedy”.
“They have already shown their character. We are not aware of any valid charities collecting donations for those families. I encourage anyone who is interested in making a donation to check with the sheriff’s office first. If there are valid sites, we will notify the public,” he said. Reading the rest of the Array
At a news conference Monday, Bouchard said the sheriff’s office “learned of a GoFundMe account that had a reported victim who was likely faking it and was not a victim. “
“Our researchers contacted GoFundMe, this site has been shut down. The money was never paid to the scammer and returned to the donors,” he stressed. “So we’re trying, in the midst of everything that’s going on, to validate sites that are legitimate. “
A list will be sent and posted on social media with verified GoFundMe accounts, Bouchard said.
A GoFundMe spokesperson informed the National Desk that the fundraiser had been canceled and that donors had been refunded.
Authorities said Sunday that the suspect in the shooting, 42-year-old Michael William Nash, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, but his motive was unknown.
Police found a handgun next to the frame and a semiautomatic rifle on the kitchen table. Bouchard said Saturday that Nash was possibly contemplating a “second chapter” of the shooting.
The shooter had no criminal history, but privately suffered from what the sheriff called “mental fitness issues. “
Authorities said Nash traveled to the Rochester Hills suburb on Saturday and opened fire at a wading pool in a city park around 5 p. m.
Sheriff Nash fired up to 28 times with a 9mm pistol, repeatedly preventing reloading.
In the midst of the chaos, “people were falling, getting beaten and looking to flee,” Bouchard said. “Terrible things that, unfortunately, all of us in our law enforcement sector have noticed all too much. “
Nine other people were injured, in addition to an 8-year-old boy who was shot in the head; his 4-year-old brother, who was shot in the leg; and the children’s mother, wounded in the stomach and leg.
At a news conference Monday, Bouchard added that the boy with a head injury “is progressing. “The 4-year-old boy was in good condition.
Among the six other victims, a 37-year-old woman and a 77-year-old man were released and a 39-year-old man may soon be released.
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Editor’s note: The Associated Press contributed to this report.