Chad Hickman, a 39-year-old, is suspected of killing five people in a mass shooting in rural Michigan. Before this incident, he had been convicted of child abuse and was involved in a contentious divorce with allegations of domestic violence, according to local media.
Background and Previous Convictions
The Michigan State Police identified Hickman as the suspect after a series of shootings in Missaukee County last Friday. Five individuals lost their lives, and another was critically injured. Hickman was later found dead, but authorities have not yet disclosed his cause of death or any motive for the shootings.
Court records, as reviewed by The Detroit News, reveal that in 2024, Hickman pleaded guilty to two misdemeanor charges: fourth-degree child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. These charges stemmed from an incident in 2010. Allegations of domestic violence, control, and coercion were also part of his divorce proceedings.
Newsweek has reached out to the Missaukee County Clerk for further records.
The Shooting Incident
Michigan State Police reported that troopers were sent to a home on South LaChance Road in Lake Township around 11:40 a.m. Friday. They were responding to a report of a shooting. Upon arrival, officers discovered three individuals dead and one critically injured, who was transported to a hospital.
The shooter had fled the scene before the police arrived. Authorities cautioned that he was armed and dangerous, prompting a large-scale search with assistance from the MSP Emergency Support Team, aviation, and canine units.
During the search, a fourth victim was found deceased at a different location within Missaukee County. Officers subsequently located Hickman’s vehicle near Whitlock Lake in Caldwell Township. Nearby in the woods, Hickman and another victim were found dead. This brought the total death count to six, including Hickman, while another individual remains in critical condition.
MSP Lieutenant Ashley Miller acknowledged the tragic impact on the community and the challenges faced by investigators. She assured continued commitment to conducting a thorough investigation.
Authorities have not released the victims’ identities, disclosed their relationships with Hickman, or determined a potential motive. Hickman’s cause and manner of death are also yet to be released. Newsweek contacted the MSP Seventh District public information officer for comment.
More About Chad Hickman
Hickman lived in the Lake City-Jennings area of Missaukee County. The sheriff’s office had identified him during the search as a person of interest, describing him as armed and dangerous. Limited public information is available about his life outside of the criminal record.
The records show that Hickman faced criminal charges concerning harm to a child. He pleaded guilty to two misdemeanors: fourth-degree child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor. These charges were the result of an investigation by the Missaukee County Sheriff’s Office. More serious charges were dismissed, including assault with intent to do great bodily harm and first-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Under Michigan law, fourth-degree child abuse involves acts causing physical harm or posing an unreasonable risk of harm to a child. It does not require that an injury ultimately occurs. The statute on contributing to the delinquency of a minor prohibits actions leading a child under 17 to become neglected or delinquent.
Leave a Reply