A wounded 13-year-old girl managed to call 911 after being shot during a killing spree that left five victims and the suspected gunman dead across three locations in northern Michigan.

The violence began shortly before noon Friday, Aug. 14, at a home on South LaChance Road in Lake Township, a rural area of Missaukee County.

Michigan State Police said troopers were dispatched at approximately 11:40 a.m. after receiving a report that someone had been shot. When officers entered the home, they discovered three people dead: a 45-year-old man, a 40-year-old woman and a 16-year-old boy.

The 13-year-old girl was found critically wounded and rushed to a hospital.

Despite having been shot, the teenager was able to call 911 herself, Michigan State Police Lt. Ashley Miller confirmed. Her condition was later upgraded from critical to stable, providing the only hopeful development in an otherwise devastating case.

Police have not officially released the victims’ names or explained their relationships to one another.

Investigators identified 39-year-old Chad Hickman as the suspected gunman. He had already fled before troopers reached the first house, triggering a large-scale manhunt involving the Michigan State Police Emergency Support Team, aircraft, canine units and officers from several surrounding agencies.

Authorities warned residents that Hickman was potentially armed and dangerous. Police searched roads, homes and wooded areas while attempting to locate his vehicle.

During that search, investigators discovered a fourth victim—a 53-year-old man—dead inside a separate Missaukee County home.

Troopers eventually spotted Hickman’s vehicle near a wooded area close to Whitlock Lake in Caldwell Township. As officers continued searching the woods, they found two more bodies: Hickman and a 29-year-old woman.

All five victims suffered fatal gunshot wounds, according to the Associated Press. Authorities believe Hickman took his own life, although investigators are continuing to examine the exact circumstances surrounding his death.

Police said there was no continuing threat to the public after Hickman was found.

The investigation now stretches across three crime scenes: the South LaChance Road residence, the second Missaukee County home and the wooded area near Whitlock Lake.

Detectives worked through the night collecting evidence and attempting to determine the sequence of events, Hickman’s connection to each victim and what may have motivated the shootings.

Public records reviewed by the Associated Press show that Hickman had previously been convicted of misdemeanor child abuse in 2024. Authorities have not said whether that conviction had any connection to Friday’s killings.

The case has shaken the surrounding rural community, where a report of one shooting rapidly expanded into a countywide search and the discovery of additional victims.

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

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also offered condolences to the victims’ families and the Missaukee County community.

For investigators, many of the central questions remain unanswered: Why were these particular people targeted? What connected the three locations? And what happened in the hours before the first 911 call?

What is known is that one seriously wounded 13-year-old girl survived long enough to summon help—setting in motion the police response that uncovered the full scale of the tragedy.

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