Six people, including the suspected gunman, have died and one other person remains critically injured after a deadly shooting spree in Michigan, authorities said.
Michigan State Police troopers were dispatched to a home on LaChance Road in Lake Township at about 11.40am Friday after a 13-year-old girl reported she had been shot in the arm, according to a police radio transmission obtained by Broadcastify.
When troopers reached the property, they discovered three people dead and another victim in critical condition. The injured person was taken to a local hospital, state police said in a news release provided to Our News Outlet.
Authorities then began a large-scale manhunt for the suspected shooter, identified as 39-year-old Chad Hickman. Police said he was believed to be armed and dangerous and was reportedly driving a white pickup truck.
As investigators searched locations connected to the case during the manhunt, they found a fourth victim dead inside a separate home.
Not long afterward, troopers found Hickman’s vehicle abandoned near a wooded area close to Whitlock Lake. Investigators, assisted by a K9 team, moved in to search the area.
During that search, authorities found Hickman dead, along with another deceased victim.
Suspected gunman Chad Hickman, 39, was among those found dead in Michigan on Friday
Michigan State Police were seen investigating a massive shooting that left six people dead
Authorities said there is no threat to the larger public at this time
Records obtained by the Detroit News show Hickman was divorced in a 2025 case in which a judge wrote that it was ‘uncontested’ that the marriage had allegations of domestic abuse on both sides that were ‘at the heart of the issues before the court.’
He was also convicted in 2024 of misdemeanor fourth-degree child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of children in connection with a 2010 criminal case, for which he was sentenced to one year behind bars and was ordered to pay $1,775 in costs and fees.
Police have not yet released the identities of the victims that were killed on Friday, and their relationships to Hickman remains unclear as does a motive for the killings while authorities work to piece together exactly what happened.
But authorities have said there is no threat to the public.
‘Not only is this difficult for our investigators and our troopers, but it’s very hard for this community. You know, this type of loss is tragic,’ Michigan State Police Public Information Officer Ashley Miller told Up North Live.
She then vowed that troopers are ‘going to conduct a thorough investigation, and we want to make sure to keep our community members up to date on our current situation and what we’re discovering throughout this process.’
In the meantime, Michigan State Police are asking that the public avoid the area.
As the investigation now continues, state Representative Ken Borton offered his condolences.
‘Please join me in praying for our Northern Michigan community tonight after the unspeakable acts of violence we saw unfold today, especially send prayers for the six families who lost a loved one today and pray that an additional person, currently fighting for their life, will pull through and make a full recovery,’ he posted on social media.
Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson also posted that she is ‘devastated to hear about the tragic shooting that occurred this afternoon in Missaukee County.
‘As we await more details, my prayers are with the family and loved ones of the victims and the entire Northern Michigan community.’
Governor Gretchen Whitmer also said she was briefed on the shooting and was monitoring the situation.
‘My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the Missaukee community,’ she said.
