Michigan shooting spree leaves six dead, including suspect, across two homes and a wooded area

A string of shootings in rural northern Michigan left five people and the suspected gunman dead on Friday, capping a frantic search that stretched across two homes and a remote stretch of woods, state police said.

Officers were dispatched just before noon to a report of gunfire at a residence in Missaukee County, roughly 170 miles northwest of Detroit. There they discovered three people dead and a fourth critically wounded, according to Michigan State Police. The injured victim was rushed to a hospital, but officials did not immediately provide an update on that person's condition.

The suspect, identified as 39-year-old Chad Hickman, had already fled the scene by the time troopers arrived, police said. As authorities launched a large-scale manhunt, they located a fourth deceased victim at another nearby home, adding to the grim scope of the attack.

In a post on the social platform X, police warned that Hickman was considered armed and dangerous, urging residents to avoid approaching him and to report any sightings immediately.

The breakthrough came when investigators found Hickman's vehicle near a wooded area close to Whitlock Lake. A subsequent search led them to his body along with the remains of another person, bringing the death toll to six.

“This situation is heartbreaking for the community and challenging for the investigators involved,” Lt. Ashley Miller said in a statement. She added that teams would work through the night to process each scene, a sign of the complexity officials face in piecing together the sequence of violence.

The identities and ages of the victims were not immediately released, pending notification of their families. The motive behind the shootings remained unclear as of late Friday, and police asked the public to steer clear of the affected areas while evidence collection continued.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she had been briefed on the shooting and was monitoring the situation. “My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the Missaukee community,” she said in a statement.

The violence marks one of the deadliest incidents in the county in recent memory, raising renewed questions about how a single suspect could move undetected between multiple locations in a sparsely populated region. Local officials were coordinating with state investigators to provide support to residents, many of whom expressed shock that such a tragedy could unfold so close to home.