A 13-year-old girl, the lone survivor of a shooting spree in rural northern Michigan, called 911 after being shot multiple times and alerted authorities, according to her family and state police.
The girl was discovered at a home in Lake Township in Missaukee County, where three other people were also found dead when troopers arrived on the morning of Aug. 14, Michigan State Police said in a news release. Authorities launched a manhunt for the suspected gunman, who was identified as Chad Hickman, 39, after he fled the scene before troopers arrived.
Investigators believe Hickman killed five people in three different locations, according to state police. He was later found dead alongside one of the victims near a wooded area close to Whitlock Lake.
The girl was taken to a hospital in critical condition but was listed in stable condition on Aug. 15, state police said. Authorities have not released the names of the victims or said how they were connected to the suspect, but a relative identified his daughter and two grandchildren among the victims.
"The world just lost two beautiful people and one is clinging to life," David Everitt wrote on Facebook. "My daughter Amanda and her two beautiful children were shot in their home yesterday."
Everitt later wrote that his granddaughter, despite being shot four times, "still managed to call 911 and identify the shooter." He added: "She is a hero."
State police spokesperson Lt. Ashley Miller told NBC News that the girl "called 911 to report that she had been shot." The suspect fled before authorities arrived at the scene, but investigators were aware of the suspected shooter’s identity, Miller said.
USA TODAY reached out to Michigan State Police for comment.
What happened in the Michigan shooting?
Investigators spent Aug. 14 and Aug. 15 processing three crime scenes and piecing together a preliminary timeline, according to state police.
At about 11:40 a.m. local time on Aug. 14, troopers responded to a home in Lake Township after receiving a report that a 13-year-old girl had been shot, state police said. She was taken to a local hospital in critical condition and later was listed in stable condition.
Inside the home, investigators found three people dead: a 45-year-old man; a 40-year-old woman; and a 16-year-old boy, according to state police.
Authorities launched a massive search for Hickman, deploying aviation, K-9 and emergency support teams, state police said. The search led investigators to a second home in Missaukee County, where a 53-year-old man was found dead.
Authorities later located Hickman’s vehicle in a wooded area near Whitlock Lake in nearby Caldwell Township. There, state police said investigators found Hickman and a 29-year-old woman dead. Evidence at the scene indicated Hickman died by suicide.
Megan Brown, chief communications officer for Munson Healthcare, confirmed on Aug. 16 that Munson Healthcare Cadillac Hospital treated a victim of what she described as a "tragic local incident." After being stabilized, the victim was transferred to another facility outside the Munson system for further treatment.
Small Michigan community rattled by killings
The killings have reverberated through Missaukee County and nearby communities, where residents say many people knew at least one of the victims.
"This is what everybody is talking about," said Mike Davidson, who lives less than 2 miles from the home where three of the killings occurred. "It seems like everybody knew at least one person involved in it. It’s really had an impact. It’s led to a lot of scared people."
Court records detail suspect's history
Court records show Hickman was convicted of child abuse and was involved in a contentious divorce that included allegations of domestic abuse.
Hickman was charged in January 2024 in Missaukee County with four felonies and five misdemeanors, including assault with intent to do great bodily harm less than murder by strangulation, two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and interfering with electronic communications, according to court records.
The misdemeanor charges included domestic violence, three counts of fourth-degree child abuse and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.
In August 2024, Hickman pleaded guilty to one count of fourth-degree child abuse and one count of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. Prosecutors dismissed the remaining charges as part of the plea agreement, court records show.
He was sentenced to one year in the county jail.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'She is a hero.' Family says teenager called 911 after shooting spree
