Six people have been killed in a series of shootings in Michigan’s Missaukee County on Friday, including a man police identified as the suspected gunman, while another victim has been critically injured, authorities said.
Michigan State Police have confirmed that the violence took place in multiple locations in Lake and Caldwell townships.
Officers were first sent to a residence on South LaChance Road in Lake Township at about 11.40am local time after receiving a report of a shooting.
Three people were found dead inside the home, while another person was critically wounded and taken to a nearby hospital.
The suspected gunman, identified as 39-year-old Chad Hickman, was not at the property when troopers arrived. His disappearance triggered a search involving emergency response personnel, aircraft and canine units from Michigan State Police.
As the search continued, investigators located another victim at a separate residence, bringing the number of people killed in the shootings to four.
Police then discovered Hickman’s vehicle near a wooded area close to Whitlock Lake in Caldwell Township.
Hickman and another person were later found dead in the area, according to authorities.
Michigan State Police Public Information Officer Lt Ashley Miller has stressed that there is no continuing danger to the public. She said that officers will nevertheless remain in the area while investigators worked at the multiple crime scenes.
Miller stated that authorities will carry out a thorough investigation and provide residents with updates as more information became available.
Authorities have not disclosed what prompted the shootings, and the circumstances surrounding the deaths remain under investigation.
