Michigan State Police reported that a suspect and five other people died following a series of shootings in northern Michigan on Friday. The suspect, identified by authorities as 39-year-old Chad Hickman, was found dead near Whitlock Lake after a police manhunt. One additional victim was transported to a hospital and remained in critical condition as of the police statement.
The incident began around 11:40 a.m. when troopers were dispatched to a residence in Missaukee County. Upon arrival, officers discovered three deceased individuals and one person with injuries. The suspect had already fled the scene, leading law enforcement to initiate a search across the region.
During the subsequent manhunt, investigators located another deceased victim at a second residence. The search concluded when troopers found Hickman's vehicle near a wooded area. Nearby, they discovered the bodies of both Hickman and a fifth victim. Lieutenant Ashley Miller of the Michigan State Police described the situation as difficult for both the local community and the investigators.
The scale of the event involved law enforcement resources from the Michigan State Police, who managed a multi-site investigation and a manhunt following the initial 11:40 a.m. report. For residents in this rural part of the state, such an event disrupts standard public safety expectations and local daily routines. The discovery of victims at multiple locations indicates a sequence of events that required a broad police response across county lines or multiple neighborhoods.
What happens next remains centered on the formal identification of the deceased. Michigan State Police stated that they are currently working to notify the next-of-kin before releasing further details about the victims' identities. The motive for the shootings has not been reported, and the police have not specified the cause of death for Hickman or the victims. Investigators will continue to process the three distinct scenes—the two residences and the wooded area near Whitlock Lake—to determine the exact timeline of Friday's events.