Rural Missaukee County in Michigan has experienced a streak of five murders in a row. According to local police, the possible attacker, 39-year-old Chad Hickman, was found dead next to the body of the last victim – how he was connected to the victims, including teenagers, is not yet known.
On Friday, August 14, officers were dispatched to a home on South Lachance Road in Lake Township. They were called by an injured 13-year-old girl, whose life was later saved by paramedics. When police arrived at the house, they found three dead inside with gunshot wounds – a 45-year-old man, a 40-year-old woman and a 16-year-old teenager. Then the body of a 53-year-old man was found in another private residential building nearby.
Due to the situation, authorities have issued a warning that there is an intruder in the area who may be armed and dangerous. To search for him, an operation was launched using dog handlers, aviation and an emergency response team. Subsequently, the dead Hickman, who was suspected, was found near Lake Whitlock next to the body of a 29-year-old woman. Police are studying the circumstances of his death and the motives for the crimes.
According to Channel2 NOW, the man allegedly shot and killed one Amanda Everitt and four other people, including his sister, before killing himself. The police did not specify whether it was suicide or under what circumstances the last victim died in the forest near the lake.
The Detroit News writes, citing court documents, that in 2024, Hickman was already in trouble with the law. He was then found guilty of fourth-degree misdemeanor child abuse and inciting a juvenile to commit a crime.
The charges against the man stemmed from a complaint by his ex-wife Katie, who filed for divorce in September 2023 after the marriage began to “deteriorate significantly.” The couple appeared in court with mutual accusations of domestic violence. Hickman's ex-wife mentioned threats of sexualized violence and financial control by the man.
During the trial, a judge dropped more serious charges against Hickman, including assault with intent to cause great bodily harm, interference with electronic communications and two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. Two additional counts of fourth-degree child abuse were also dropped.
The man was sentenced to 365 days in jail and ordered to pay $1,775 in court costs. Later on his Facebook page, Hickman called the divorce āthe best decision of my lifeā and praised the judge for not ābelieving his wifeās bullshit.ā
Suspect Chad Hickman located after shooting in Lake City, Missaukee County https://t.co/Txm9DvxUP7
ā News Channel3 NOW (@channel3newsnow) August 14, 2026
