A series of killings in Michigan's Missaukee County, left five people, including the perpetrator, dead on Friday (local time), as per law enforcement officials cited by the Associated Press.
When the Michigan State Police were responding to reports of a shooting at a Missauke County home, which is around 169 miles northwest of Detroit, they found three individuals dead and a fourth one wounded, as per their statement.
The injured person was taken to a hospital.
Chad Hickman, the perpetrator, fled the scene before law enforcement officials could arrive. When the police was searching for him, that is when they found a fourth person dead in a different home.
When authorities discovered Hickman's vehicle in a wooded area near the Whitlock Lake, it led them to his body and also that of another individual.
Police had originally said that they were investigating a shooting. No information has yet been released about how each person died. No information has also been shared on whether the deceased individuals were related to each other.
“This situation is heartbreaking for the community and challenging for the investigators involved,” Lt. Ashley Miller said in a statement. “We remain committed to conducting a thorough investigation and will provide updates as new information becomes available.”
The name and age of the victims are not being released until their family members are notified of their passing, the police said, as per AP.
The shooting is being investigated. The public has been asked to avoid the area.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said that she was monitoring the situation after being briefed about the same.
“My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the Missaukee community,” she said.
Who was Chad Hickman?
The suspect Chad Hickman was a 39-year-old resident of the Lake City/Jennings area.
It is believed that he was driving a white pickup truck when he fled the scene.
A Facebook profile allegedly of the suspect revealed that he divorced his wide around October last year. There is also a photo of a gun tattoo on Hickman's thigh. It could not be verified if this Hickman is the same as the one identified by officials.
Recent mass shootings in the US
On 1 August in Idaho, a shooting at fast food chain In-N-Out Burger in Twin Falls resulted in three deaths and seven injuries. A 24-year-old suspected gunman later died from a self-inflicted shot, police officials later revealed.
On 5 August, a shooting in North Carolina's Prospect Hill led to three deaths and one injury.
On 19 July, in Tuscon, Arizona, 10 people, including the suspect, were wounded when a man opened fire in a busy commercial area.
There have been a total of 17 mass shootings in the US so far in 2026.
