Chad Hickman

Mass Murderer

Chad Hickman and the 2026 Missaukee County Mass Shooting

Overview

Chad Hickman, 39, was identified by Michigan State Police as the suspected gunman in a series of shootings that killed five people in Missaukee County, Michigan, on August 14, 2026. The violence unfolded at three locations in the rural northern Michigan county and triggered a large police search involving state troopers, aviation personnel, canine teams and other agencies. Hickman was ultimately found dead in a wooded area near Whitlock Lake in Caldwell Township. Because Hickman died before he could be arrested or tried, and because the investigation remains active, descriptions of him as the killer are based on police findings and the identification reportedly provided by the surviving victim rather than a criminal conviction.

The First Shooting Scene

The attacks became known to police at approximately 11:40 a.m. on Friday, August 14, when authorities received a report of a shooting at a residence on South LaChance Road in Lake Township. When officers reached the property, they found three people dead from gunshot wounds: a 40-year-old woman, a 16-year-old boy and a 45-year-old man. A 13-year-old girl had also been shot and was critically injured. She survived and was later reported to be in stable condition. Family members publicly identified two of the people killed at the South LaChance Road home as Amanda Everitt, 40, and her 16-year-old son, Eric. Amanda's father, David Everitt, said that Amanda's 13-year-old daughter had been shot four times but was still able to telephone 911 and identify Hickman as the person who had shot her. Police had not independently released the victims' names as of August 17, so Amanda and Eric's identifications came from their family rather than an official police victim list.

Search for the Suspect and Additional Victims

Authorities said Hickman fled the first scene before troopers arrived. His disappearance immediately turned the investigation into a large-scale manhunt. Michigan State Police deployed specialized resources while residents were warned to stay away from the areas being searched and investigated. During that operation, officers discovered another shooting victim, a 53-year-old man, dead at a second residence in Missaukee County. Police said that victim had also died from a gunshot wound. His identity had not been publicly released. The search later moved toward Caldwell Township after authorities located Hickman's vehicle near a wooded area close to Whitlock Lake. Troopers searching the woods found two more bodies: Hickman and a 29-year-old woman. The woman was counted among the five homicide victims and had suffered a fatal gunshot wound. As of August 17, authorities had not publicly identified her or explained her relationship to Hickman. Investigators also had not publicly established exactly how Hickman died, making it inappropriate to state conclusively that he killed himself. ...

Confirmed Victims: (6)

Amanda Everitt 41 yr old Male

Teen boy among 6 dead including suspect in Michigan shootings; girl survived