(WXYZ — It was a mass shooting that injured children and parents at what was supposed to be one of the safest places in Michigan.
The Brooklands Splash Pad in Rochester Hills is no longer a place the families who were impacted can view the same way.
On June 7, Janek Bebout was celebrating his 8th birthday with family.
VIDEO: Watch Janek Bebout's 8th birthday celebration:
Just eight days later, a gunman stole his sense of peace, safety and his eyesight.
“Mommy, me and my little brother Julen went to a splash pad in Rochester Hills, and someone with a gun came and he shot me in the head and Julen in the leg,” said Janek.
Janek’s 4-year-old brother, Julen, described the horrifying scene that played out at the Brooklands Splash Pad in Rochester Hills.
“A bad man came and boom, boom, boom,” said Julen. “Juli got shot. Jani got shot. Mommy got shot.”
Joshua said that sometimes it’s hard to remember all of the details.
“That changed the entire landscape of our lives,” he said.
Those haunting moments have never been talked about by families struck by gunshots that day until now.
“Everything happened super fast,” said Johanna.
Johanna and Joshua told me they’re breaking their silence in hopes of stopping mass shootings like this one.
“I hear the gunshots. I notice being hit. Pretty much at the same time my 8-year-old screams,” said Johanna Bebout, splash pad shooting survivor.
For Johanna, it all seemed to happen in a split second.
RELATED VIDEO: Initial report: Multiple people injured in shooting at Rochester Hills splash pad:
“From the first moment I hear the gunshots, up to the point of laying there, and us with our wounds — was the maximum two seconds,” she said.
Johanna said she shielded her children with her body.
“I just grab both of my kids, one in my right arm and one in my left and jump over a teeny tiny wall,” she recounted.
“I’m trying to get back up to run with the kids, but I couldn’t because both my legs were broken and I just checked my kids to make sure they are both alive. At the same time, I see neighbors running to the scene.”
Amid the screams, she recalls the fear of not knowing who started firing or if they had left.
“I was bleeding out from my right femur, right leg. I just began to apply pressure,” said Johanna.
Shot multiple times, she said both she and her older son needed immediate medical attention.
EMS rushed them to Corewell Health's Troy Beaumont Hospital, along with other families who were injured.
“It just looked like a scene from a movie: ambulances, police, people laying down. Just chaos,” he said.
Joshua can still visualize arriving minutes after frantically searching for his family.
“I first found Janek, laying down on a small hill, and I saw the gunshot wound through his head. Shock doesn’t even begin to describe when you see your own child laying on the ground. Shot,” he said.
“Johanna was shot in both legs. Her shoulder, hand, abdomen and back. Bleeding out in her leg and stomach,” said Joshua.
He said both his wife and Janek needed life-saving emergency surgery.
They credit doctors who saved them and first responders who arrived quickly.
The family eventually moved to Corewell Health's Royal Oak Beaumont Hospital, where all three remained in the ICU for days.
Janek was later released after a two week stay, his mother remained a total of three weeks.
Attention all the while on Julen who had a bullet removed from his leg and Janek now living without his vision.
“Janek had to have part of his skull removed to allow for his brain to swell, which he’s still missing which is why he wears a helmet now,” said Joshua.
Johanna added, “most dominantly we are grieving the loss of Janek’s eyesight. That his eyesight was robbed from him and at the same time, we are incredibly grateful that we’re all still here and have no funeral and we’re all together as a family still.”
During our time talking, I asked the Bebout family if they were afraid before this took place of deadly school shootings like those at Oxford and Michigan State University. Their answer is nearly impossible to believe.
“Our cousins went to Oxford school,” said Janek. “The oldest one that was there is still traumatized and has nightmares.”
Joshua said, “one of our primary reasons we wanted to home school our children was we knew of the fact that shootings take place. We didn’t want to take that chance. We’d rather just home school and lead a small, quiet life which we did all the way up until that day.”
But refusing to give up, gathering strength from one another, this family is unbroken.
VIDEO: Full interview: The Bebout family shares how the splash pad shooting has impacted their lives:
Joshua is now taking on the role of caretaker as he waits for Johanna to fully recover.
“I’m thankful that I can now take care of all three of them,” he said. “Multiple doctors appointments every single day. Just making sure everybody is getting the care that they need.”
Johanna adds, “I’ve heard 10 times I’m a walking miracle. They can’t explain this to themselves, how the bullets went into exactly the right places so I could survive."
Joshua hopes to raise awareness by talking publicly about that day.
“For people to see this is what can happen when weapons are placed in the hands of individuals who may not know how to use them, in a manner that doesn’t harm people,” he said.
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard shared publicly that the shooter left no clear motive, but displayed mental health issues and had access to numerous guns.
Joshua said he’s extremely grateful to counselors the sheriff’s office provided, and to the outpouring of support that’s come through letters and other acts of kindness from strangers.
“We are so grateful and thankful for all the people who have prayed for us. Who have written letters and donated to ensure we can continue on and take care of our needs,” said Joshua.
Struck by their spirit and positive energy, I myself was so moved by the Bebout family, who tells me their faith and love have helped start the journey to healing.
An amazing 8-year-old, Janek is now tackling his future, one step at a time.
“We are all still alive and still here,” said Janek. “The only thing that happened to me is that I was shot in the head and can’t see anymore, but there is a chance I can see one day again.”
Johanna said their family holds each other together.
“There’s till laughter in the house. My children inspire me so much. My older one especially has always been a positive, kind person,” she said. “He still tells me, ‘mommy I’m still have fun. Don’t be too sad.’ They give me so much strength.”
And for Joshua, it’s also about finding a new path to happiness for his family who survived the most unthinkable of nightmares.
“The splash pad should be a place that families can enjoy and be together … it turned into a place where all I see is grief and sadness,” he said.
Joshua adds, “we work with a lot of trauma therapists now to try and help with psychological damage. Trying to find the quiet life we had before and weren’t very restricted. How do we find that life again now?”
With all of those physical injuries, the emotional scars are so deep for the families we talked to, but day by day, they’re determined to keep moving forward and to keep inspiring others.
If you’d like to learn more about the Bebout family and help, click here.
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