LIVE COVERAGE: There are multiple casualties after a man stabbed customers and staffers Saturday at a Walmart in Traverse City, Michigan. Nearly 15 hours later and police have yet to release any information about the attacker. One eyewitness said the man appeared to be “foreign born.” Live reports from the scene will be posted below and click here to get my breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox.
Hero Went Into “Marine Mode” After Walmart Attack
A Marine veteran, armed with a grocery cart, and a law-abiding gun-owner stopped a madman from hurting more people at Walmart. Lisa Sherm, the founder of Greater Grand Rapids Scanner Calls, posted this on her Facebook page:
Today’s horrific events at the Walmart in Traverse City, have left 11 people injured. 5 of them are in serious condition and 6 are in critical condition, after a random attacker stabbed them inside the store. The assailant was beginning to flee after his rampage, but was met in the parking lot by several brave citizens.
One of those individuals to take down the attacker, Matthew.K of Kent City, MI, was in town for a family vacation. His family made a stop to the store for some supplies and had just finished checking out, when a store employee shouted the dire warnings over the intercom. “There’s a man with a knife!!” As they exited the store, Matthew saw the attacker had injured 2 people including an elderly woman. Matthew directed his young daughter to stay back, and went into Marine Mode.
Matthew is a veteran of the Marine Corps and has extensive training and experience in high stress situations. Without much hesitation, he grabbed a nearby shopping cart and rammed it straight into the achilles tendon of the assailant, causing him to fall forward. Thankfully Matthew (in the purple shirt) didn’t act alone. He had the assistance of another citizen, who just so happened to be a Marine veteran as well, and held the attacker at gunpoint, until he dropped the knife. Thats when multiple people tackled him until PD arrived moments later, taking the 42 year old attacker into custody.
This event is beyond comprehension and thought to be completely random, forever changing the lives of so many. But thanks to the quick actions of Matthew and several other citizens, the attacker was stopped and will face charges in the coming days.
Good Guy With Gun Stops Stabbing Melee
A law-abiding gun owner took out his pistol and stopped the knife-wielding maniac from hurting anyone else at the Traverse City Walmart.
“My grandma saw what happened at Walmart today in traverse city. 11 people stabbed. She saw a guy dripping with blood and a guy with a gun saving the day,” one local resident wrote on X.
Other Good Samaritans joined in and held the man at gunpoint until police arrived. These men are great American patriots and heroes. Watch video of the moment they confronted the suspect below.
FBI Sending Agents to Traverse City
FBI personnel are responding to provide any necessary support to the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office in their investigation of the attacks at the Walmart, said FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino.
Sheriff: Suspect is Michigan Resident
Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea said the suspect in the mass stabbing at Walmart is a Michigan resident.
The sheriff did not release the suspect’s name nor any possible motive for the attack. He said the attacker used a standard “folding-knife.”
He said the first people who were stabbed were near the check-out area.
“Be vigilant, know that no area is immune this type of activity unfortunately. If you see something please reach out, call 911, and as I said there was citizen involvement in this and as we learn more about that, we will talk more about it. It’s very tragic and no one is immune to it unfortunately,” the sheriff said at a Saturday night press conference.
Hospital Says They are Treating at Least 11 Victims
A Traverse City hospital says they are treating at least 11 victims of the Walmart stabbing. Munson Healthcare issued the following statement:
Munson Healthcare is aware of the tragic incident that occurred earlier today at the Walmart in Traverse City. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this event, and we are grateful to the first responders and law enforcement for their swift action.
We can confirm that 11 victims are being treated at Munson Medical Center. As a result, our Emergency Department is currently experiencing a higher-than-usual volume of patients.
We are working closely with local authorities and emergency services to ensure the best possible care for those impacted. We ask for the public’s patience and understanding as we manage this increased demand.
We will provide updates as appropriate and continue to support our community during this difficult time.
Statement from Gov. Gretchen Whitmer
I’m in touch with law enforcement about the horrible news out of Traverse City. Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence. I am grateful to the first responders for their swift response to apprehend the suspect.
Walmart Working with Police
Michigan State Police issued a statement say the suspect in the stabbing is in custody. Following is their complete statement:
“Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office is investigating a multiple stabbing incident at the Walmart in Traverse City. The suspect is in custody, details are limited at this time. A PIO is in route to the scene and details will be posted as they become available. Please avoid the area as the investigation is ongoing.”
A Walmart corporate spokesperson, Joe Pennington, said by email that the company was “working with police and defer questions to them right now.”
Messages seeking comment were left with police and the mayor.
Traverse City is about 255 miles (410 kilometers) northwest of Detroit
“Run! Somebody’s Got a Knife”
A woman said on Facebook that her daughter was working at the Walmart when chaos broke out.
“She was checking a customer out and all she heard was ‘Run, somebody’s got a knife’ and everyone was running towards the doors,” the mother said.
Another person wrote on Facebook: “My granddaughter had just left the store, was getting in her car , when she saw people running and screaming, police and EMS and fire personnel were arriving very promptly. She couldn’t get out of parking lot.”
Level 2 Mass Casualty Declared
First responders have declared a mass casualty incident at the Walmart in Traverse City, Michigan. As many as nine people were reportedly stabbed Saturday afternoon inside the Walmart. Police have not released any information about the suspect and whether or not he is in custody.
Eyewitness Says Attacker Was Armed with “Buck Knife”
A woman, who says she and her family were barricaded inside Walmart, wrote that her husband rushed to try and help victims — most of whom are elderly.
“We went in and started to walk around, heard A TON of screaming, so we got freaked out thinking that someone wasn’t okay,” the woman wrote. “Michael ran towards the screaming to help, then came running back out so I got terrified thinking if he’s running away its really bad, but he was actually chasing the guy, who then lunged towards me and my 4 daughters with a large buck knife. He missed us and then Michael chased him and helped two other guys tackle him to the ground. Michael assisted the paramedics to 8 people who had been pretty badly hurt, mostly elderly, a few in pretty bad shape.”