MISSAUKEE COUNTY, MI — Michigan State Police have partially identified the victims of Friday's mass shooting that left five people dead and another critically injured. Authorities believe the shooter was 39-year-old Chad Hickman, who was also found dead.
According to a news release from state police, troopers were dispatched at 11:40 a.m. Friday to a home on South LaChance Road in Lake Township for a report of a person shot.
There, troopers found three people dead and a 13-year-old girl with critical injuries. The girl was taken to an area hospital, where she remains in critical but stable condition.
On Saturday, police identified the other LaChance Road victims as a 45-year-old man, a 40-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy.
Police said Hickman fled before troopers arrived, prompting a large-scale police response and searches from the MSP Emergency Support Team and its aviation and canine units.
As the search for Hickman continued, state police said a fourth person was found dead at a second, separate home in Missaukee County. That victim was identified by police as a 53-year-old man.
Troopers eventually saw Hickman's vehicle near a wooded area close to Whitlock Lake in Caldwell Township, officials said.
While continuing the search, state police said troopers found Hickman and another person dead in the wooded area. Police said the fifth fatality was a 29-year-old woman.
While searching for Hickman, the Missaukee County Sheriff's Office said he was considered "armed and dangerous" and warned the public not to approach him.
Hickman was convicted in 2024 of misdemeanor fourth-degree child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of children, according to court records reviewed by The Detroit News.
He was sentenced to 365 days in jail, while several other charges, including felony sexual conduct and assault charges, were dismissed.
The case stemmed from allegations by his ex-wife, Katie Hickman, who filed for divorce in 2023. In a 2025 divorce ruling, a judge described their marriage as marked by "significant dysfunction and mutual toxicity," with both parties accusing the other of domestic violence.
Related: 6 Dead, Including Suspect, In Northern Michigan Mass Shooting: State Police
Katie Hickman alleged she experienced physical and sexual threats and financial control during the marriage. The judge found both sides made credible but inconsistent claims and ultimately resolved their disputes over property and finances.
In an Oct. 11 Facebook post, Hickman denied his ex-wife's allegations, accusing her of lying to gain an advantage in their divorce and praising the judge for relying on evidence.
His Facebook page includes other posts criticizing Katie Hickman, including an allegation that she broke into his apartment and stole his belongings.
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