At least six people dead and one wounded in mass shooting in rural Michigan

A mass shooting on Friday has left six people dead, including the suspected gunman, in Missaukee county, a rural area of northern Michigan, according to state police. Another person is in critical condition at a local hospital.

Michigan state police identified the suspected gunman as 39-year-old Chad Hickman in a statement posted on social media.

Hickman fled the scene, prompting a manhunt, the police said. The Missaukee county sheriff’s office had appealed to the public for help in locating the “armed and dangerous” Hickman, before he was located by state police.

Investigators tracked Hickman’s vehicle to a wooded area, where he and another individual were found deceased. It is unclear what circumstances led up to the shooting.

“This situation is heartbreaking for the community and challenging for the investigators involved,” said Lt Ashley Miller, a Michigan state police spokesperson. “We remain committed to conducting a thorough investigation and will provide updates as new information becomes available.”

Court records indicate Hickman was in the process of a divorce. He also had been sentenced to more than a year in county jail, after pleading guilty in 2024 to two misdemeanors. He was charged with contributing to the delinquency of a child and child abuse in the fourth degree, which can mean under state law a reckless act that harmed or endangered a minor. Both charges dated back to a 2010 offense.