Traverse City, Michigan, has seen a series of violent incidents, including a stabbing attack at a Walmart. The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, with a 42-year-old Michigan resident being taken into custody by police. The victims were not predetermined and there is no indication of additional suspects. Bystanders scrambled to help capture the suspect and treat the victims as police and emergency responders rushed to the scene.
The Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office reported that around 4:45 p.m., a 42-year-old man entered the Walmart in Garfield Township and, armed with a “folding knife,” stabbed 11 people in the store’s checkout area. A video obtained by CNN appears to show several people confronting a man in the Walmart parking lot, yelling at him to “throw the knife” away and lay on the ground. Munson Healthcare, a hospital system in northern Michigan, is treating the 11 victims from the stabbing attack. Six victims were in critical condition, and five in serious condition as of Saturday night. Three of the victims underwent surgery after the attack, according to the sheriff.
State and federal law enforcement are assisting with the investigation into the apparently random attack. The FBI is assisting the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation, and the Michigan State Police Crime Lab was en route to assist in processing the scene Saturday. Walmart corporate spokesperson Joe Pennington condemned the attack in a statement to CNN, saying, “violence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and we’re thankful for the swift action of first responders.”
Traverse City is home to former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, who live there with their children. They are shaken by the awful and senseless violence at Walmart earlier today and hope for speedy recovery for all those who were injured.
