5 people killed in rural Michigan; suspect found dead

Five people were found dead in rural northern Michigan on Friday, state police said.

A suspected gunman was also found deceased, Michigan State Police said in a statement.

Troopers responding to a late-morning report of a shooting found three people dead at a residence in the Missaukee County community of Lake Township, roughly 260 miles north-northwest of Detroit, police said.

A fourth person was critically injured, they said.

Police named Chad Hickman, 39, as a suspect and said he fled the scene. In their search for him, troopers found a fourth person dead at another residence in Missaukee County, they said.

They also found the suspect’s vehicle near a wooded area close to Whitlock Lake in Caldwell Township. They eventually discovered Hickman and another person dead in the woods nearby, police said.

“This situation is heartbreaking for the community and challenging for the investigators involved,” state police Lt. Ashley Miller said in the statement.

A motive remains under investigation. The victims have not been identified.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.