Six people were killed and a seventh was badly hurt in a quiet Michigan county before noon on a Friday.
Story Snapshot
- Michigan State Police found victims across three scenes in Missaukee County.
- Troopers first responded at about 11:40 a.m. on Friday, August 14, 2026.
- Police identified the suspect as 39-year-old Chad Hickman, later found dead.
- Officials said there was no ongoing threat as they processed the scenes.
A Deadly Chain Across Three Scenes
Michigan State Police answered a 911 call at around 11:40 a.m. Friday, August 14, 2026. Troopers went to a home on South LaChance Road in Lake Township. They found three people dead and a fourth in critical condition.
Police then checked a second home in Missaukee County and found another person dead. The search pushed into woods near Whitlock Lake in Caldwell Township. There, troopers located suspect Chad Hickman and one more deceased person, bringing the total deaths to six.
Police named Hickman, age 39, as the suspect soon after the searches began. He fled the first scene before troopers arrived. Officers later found him dead near Whitlock Lake during a large response that drew local, county, and state units.
Authorities did not detail his cause of death at that time. Reuters reporting matched the casualty count and identification, and noted the scale of the manhunt across the rural area.
The Call That Set Everything In Motion
A 13-year-old girl called 911 after being shot. Reporters named her as Bella Everett. She survived the initial attack and was rushed for care in critical condition, according to local and national coverage.
Her call guided the first wave of troopers and shaped the immediate search pattern across nearby properties and roads. Police said they were still working to confirm the relationships among the victims and the suspect during the first days after the incident.
Teen boy among 6 dead including suspect in Michigan shootings; girl survived @WashTimes https://t.co/21bKfCyRp0
— Washington Times Local (@WashTimesLocal) August 15, 2026
Michigan State Police stressed that there was no ongoing threat to the public as they processed the scenes and coordinated searches.
That message mattered in a small county where rumors can spread fast, roads are long, and neighbors often rely on each other before officers arrive. It also signaled that investigators believed the violence had ended with the discovery of Hickman and the final victim near Whitlock Lake.
What Police Say, What We Know
State police accounts, echoed by multiple outlets, follow a consistent timeline. First, the 911 call and the Lake Township home with three dead and one wounded. Next, one more fatality at a second home in the county.
Finally, the discovery of Hickman and another deceased person in the wooded area, bringing the total to six deaths including the suspect. This sequence appeared across local television, wire coverage, and follow-up community reports.
41-year-old Amanda Everitt and her 16-year-old son, Eric Everitt were killed at their home in Friday’s shooting spree across Missaukee County, Michigan.
Amanda’s 13-year-old daughter remains hospitalized in critical condition after reportedly being shot four times. pic.twitter.com/c5M8mE5Kvw
— Newtown Action Alliance ❌👑 (@NewtownAction) August 16, 2026
Authorities did not immediately release all victim names or ages. Reporters noted that next-of-kin notices were still underway. Media also reported that investigators were working to piece together motive and ties among those involved.
That restraint tracks with how police manage active, multi-scene cases in rural regions. It reduces panic, protects evidence work, and limits early errors while families are notified and forensic teams do their jobs.
How A Small County Absorbs A Big Shock
Missaukee County sits in northern Michigan, where a few long roads connect homes, fields, and lakes. A mass shooting with three distinct scenes disrupts every normal instinct in a place like this. Parents call schools and churches.
Deputies and troopers from several posts converge and grid-search trails. Reporters work with fewer witnesses and longer drives. Officials share only what helps the public stay calm and safe. They did that here with clear counts, a named suspect, and a firm safety message.
Coverage patterns also followed familiar lines. Local outlets centered on the people, the neighborhoods, and the search details. National wires stepped in with the key facts and a broad lens as the death toll became clear.
Both tracks highlighted the 13-year-old survivor, whose call likely saved lives by speeding the response and shaping the search.
Where Attention Should Stay
Six lives ended across homes and woods most people will never see. The facts that matter are straightforward. Police found three dead and one wounded at the first home, then a fourth victim at another home, and then the suspect and a sixth deceased person by Whitlock Lake.
Hickman, 39, was identified as the suspect and later found dead. Officers said the public was not in danger as they worked. The investigation continued after the scenes were secured.
Further details on motive, relationships, and forensics will come through official channels. Until then, the grounded account is strong and consistent across state police statements and major reporting.
The duty now is to remember the victims, support the survivor, and let investigators close the loop with care. That is how communities heal while keeping faith with truth and the rule of law.
Sources:
theguardian.com, upnorthlive.com, facebook.com
