A search for a 39-year-old suspect ended near Whitlock Lake after authorities found deaths at multiple locations Friday.
LAKE TOWNSHIP, Mich. — Six people, including a man identified by police as the suspected gunman, are dead and another person remained critically injured after a series of shootings Friday across multiple locations in Missaukee County, Michigan State Police said.
Investigators were working Saturday to determine the sequence of events and circumstances behind the deaths. Police identified the suspect as 39-year-old Chad Hickman. He was found dead in a wooded area near Whitlock Lake after a large search involving state police emergency support, aviation and canine units. Authorities had not announced a motive or released the identities of the other people who died.
The investigation began at about 11:40 a.m. Friday, Aug. 14, when troopers were sent to a home on South LaChance Road in Lake Township after a 911 report that someone had been shot. Troopers found three people dead at the home and another person critically injured. The injured person was taken to an area hospital.
Police said Hickman had left the property before troopers arrived. Authorities launched a large-scale search and warned residents during the response that he was considered armed and dangerous. The search drew specialized state police teams as investigators worked to find him and determine whether other locations were connected to the violence.
During that search, authorities found a fourth deceased person at a separate home in Missaukee County. Troopers later spotted Hickman’s vehicle near a wooded area close to Whitlock Lake in Caldwell Township. Police searching the area then found Hickman dead along with another deceased person.
The discoveries brought the number of people found dead to six, including Hickman. Five other people died, while a seventh person was hospitalized in critical condition. Police have not publicly described how each person was connected to Hickman or to one another. Investigators also had not publicly established the circumstances of Hickman’s death.
Lt. Ashley Miller, a public information officer for Michigan State Police, described the case as difficult for both investigators and the surrounding community. She said police would conduct a thorough investigation and provide updates as more information became available. State police asked the public to stay away from the three areas while investigators processed the scenes.
The deaths left investigators with several major questions Saturday, including the exact chronology across the locations and what led to the violence. State police have described their timeline as preliminary, meaning details could change as detectives review evidence and complete work at each location.
Police said there was no continuing threat to the public after Hickman was found. Authorities continued processing evidence at the separate scenes, while the names and ages of the other people who died had not been released pending notification of their families.
Author note: Last updated Aug. 15, 2026.