In the quiet community of Oscoda, Michigan, a verbal altercation escalated into a tragic and fatal encounter, claiming the life of 37-year-old Rickie Lynn Cheatum Jr. on Thursday, February 7, 2019. The Oscoda Township Police Department responded to reports of shots fired in the residential area of Wurtsmith around 11:40 a.m. Upon their arrival, officers discovered a grim scene inside a residence shared by Cheatum and another man.
Inside the home, authorities found Cheatum deceased on the floor, the victim of an apparent gunshot wound to the head. Alongside him, a 31-year-old man, identified by police as the alleged shooter and Cheatum's roommate, was found unconscious with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head. Witnesses at the scene informed investigators that the two men had been engaged in a heated verbal dispute just before the shooting. During the argument, the alleged shooter reportedly gained access to two handguns.
The 31-year-old suspect was initially transported by Iosco Emergency Medical Services to a local hospital before being transferred to a downstate facility for further medical attention. The incident was investigated as a suspected murder-suicide. The investigation involved multiple law enforcement agencies, including the Iosco County Sheriff's Department, the Michigan State Police, the Alcona County Sheriff's Department, and the U.S. Forest Service, who all responded to the scene.
Rickie Lynn Cheatum was born on June 12, 1982. A funeral service was held in his memory on Wednesday, February 13, 2019, at Buresh Funeral Home in Oscoda.
