Michigan shooting kills six
Michigan Shooting Leaves Six Dead, Including Teen Victim and Suspect Chad Hickman.
A shooting spree across rural Missaukee County, Michigan, left five people dead and one girl fighting for her life on August 14, 2026. The suspect, 39-year-old Chad Preston Hickman, was found dead in the woods — the sixth fatality — after a hours-long manhunt involving K-9 units, aircraft, and a tactical response team. AZFamily reported that a 13-year-old girl survived after calling 911 despite being shot four times.
The killings unfolded across three crime scenes in Lake Township and Caldwell Township. Hickman had a prior conviction for child abuse and had faced — but avoided — serious felony charges just two years earlier. Neighbors and family members are now demanding to know how he remained free.
A 13-Year-Old's 911 Call Exposed Three Crime Scenes
At 11:40 a.m., a 13-year-old girl called 911 from a home on South LaChance Road. She had been shot multiple times. When Michigan State Police arrived ten minutes later, they found three people dead: a 40-year-old woman, a 16-year-old boy, and a 45-year-old man. The girl was airlifted to a hospital in Grand Rapids. WTOC confirmed she was upgraded from critical to stable condition the following day.
During the manhunt that followed, troopers discovered a second scene at another Missaukee County home. Inside, a 53-year-old man lay dead. Police then tracked Hickman's white pickup truck — described as having a discolored tailgate — to a wooded area near Whitlock Lake, about 5 miles north. At 3:23 p.m., officers found Hickman and a 29-year-old woman both dead from gunshot wounds. KKTV reported that Hickman's death is being investigated as a suicide.
Hickman Avoided Felony Prison Time After 2024 Plea Deal
Hickman pleaded guilty in September 2024 to misdemeanor fourth-degree child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. In exchange, the court dropped several major felony charges. Those included felony assault with intent to do great bodily harm and two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct. He served only 365 days in county jail and paid $1,775 in fines and court fees. WSMV reported that all charges stemmed from a 2010 incident.
A neighbor, Tim Penrose, told reporters that Hickman should have been in jail "way, way longer." Penrose described him as an "angry and erratic man" who "frequently harassed" people on the street. A 2025 divorce ruling also found that Hickman's marriage involved physical threats, sexual coercion, and financial control. After the ruling, Fox 5 Vegas noted, Hickman publicly mocked his ex-wife's abuse claims on Facebook.
Victims Identified by Grieving Grandfather on Facebook
The grandfather of two victims, David Everitt, publicly named them on Facebook. The 40-year-old woman killed at Scene 1 was Amanda Everitt, his daughter. She worked at Curry House Assisted Living in Cadillac, Michigan. The 16-year-old boy was her son, Eric. The surviving girl, Bella, aged 13, is also his granddaughter. Live 5 News confirmed she made the 911 call that first alerted authorities to the shooting.
The 29-year-old woman found dead alongside Hickman near Whitlock Lake has not been officially identified. Community members on social media said she may have been Hickman's sister, though police have not confirmed that claim. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said, "My thoughts are with the victims, their families, and the Missaukee community." KCBD reported that all six deaths were caused by gunshot wounds.
Shooting Renews Calls Over Domestic Violence and Plea Deals
This is the second domestic violence-related mass killing in Michigan in less than a month. On July 24, 2026, a father in Grand Haven Township shot his wife and six children before killing himself. KAIT8 reported that analysts are now pointing to a troubling pattern of family violence escalating to mass murder across the state.
Critics are focused on two issues: plea bargain reform and rural mental health care. Democratic lawmakers are expected to push for limits on plea deals in domestic assault cases, arguing that letting felony-level offenders plead down to misdemeanors keeps them out of prison and can leave them with legal access to guns. Advocates for northern Michigan also note that the region lost state-run mental health facilities in the 1990s and has never fully recovered. Missaukee County has a population of about 15,000 people. 13ABC reported that the investigation remains open.
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