Ex-wife of Michigan shooting suspect warned of ‘danger’ before rampage

The ex-wife of the man accused of killing five people in a rural northern Michigan shooting rampage blames the local court system for failing to keep him behind bars.

Chad Hickman, 39, was found dead on Aug. 14 following an extensive manhunt in Missaukee County, roughly 200 miles northwest of Detroit, according to Michigan State Police. Authorities said the violence began at a home, where officers responding to reports of a shooting found a 45-year-old man, a 40-year-old woman, and a 16-year-old boy dead, and a 13-year-old girl critically wounded.

During the investigation, police discovered a 53-year-old man fatally shot at a second residence and later found a 29-year-old woman dead near a wooded area alongside Hickman. Evidence at the scene indicated Hickman died by suicide, according to state police.

Chad Hickman’s history of alleged violence and the court system’s handling of the cases have come under scrutiny following the deadly shooting spree.

“Missaukee County should be held accountable for what’s going on,” his ex-wife Katie Hickman told the Detroit Free Press, part of the USA TODAY Network, in a brief phone interview on Aug. 17.

Read more: USA Today