Latest news with #SheriffMichaelShea
CBC
28-07-2025
- CBC
Terrorism and assault charges sought against Michigan Walmart knife attack suspect
A man accused of entering a Walmart in Michigan and randomly stabbing 11 shoppers before being detained by bystanders in the store parking lot is expected to face terrorism and multiple assault charges, authorities said Sunday. Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea said a motive behind the attack by Bradford Gille, 42, of Afton, Mich., remains unclear. Gille, who Shea said had "prior assaultive incidents as well as controlled substance violations," said very little as he was arrested. The man is expected to be charged with one count of terrorism and 11 counts of assault with intent to murder. Shea praised the quick response by law officers who arrived within three minutes of receiving the call about the stabbing — as well as a group of bystanders who intervened and detained Gille in the parking lot of the store in Traverse City. The community of about 16,000 people is along Lake Michigan. Gille entered the store at 4:10 p.m. and remained there for some time before the attack began, authorities said. Calls began coming in to authorities at 4:43 p.m. on Saturday and a sheriff's deputy arrived at 4:46 p.m. He said the "remarkable" efforts likely prevented others from being harmed, adding a nearly 9-centimetre cutting blade was used in the attack. "I cannot commend everyone that was involved enough," Shea said at a news conference. "When you stop and look from the time of call to the time of actual custody, the individual was detained within one minute." Terrorism charges Gille remained jailed and his name did not appear Sunday in Michigan's online jail records. Messages left Sunday with phone numbers and an email listed for Gille were not immediately returned. His previous court cases did not have an attorney's name listed in public records. Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg told reporters that the terrorism charge will be brought due to the fact that the attack impacted the community, rather than one individual. "It's something that is done not to individual people, not to those individual victims — obviously they are most affected — but it is, we believe, in some ways done to affect the entire community, to put fear in the entire community and to change how maybe we operate on a daily basis," Moeggenberg said. "So that is why we are looking at that terrorism charge." Shea said the 11 victims were both men and women and they ranged in age from 29 to 84 and included one Walmart employee. Munson Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tom Schermerhorn, speaking at Sunday's news conference, said one patient was treated and released; two were in serious condition; and the rest are in fair condition. All were expected to survive. Witness accounts Steven Carter was loading his truck in the Walmart parking lot when he saw a man with a knife stab a woman in the throat. About five minutes later, he said, the attacker was surrounded by shoppers in the parking lot, including one who was holding a gun. The group of five or six people kept yelling to the man to "drop the knife," he said, and the man responded: "I don't care, I don't care." He kept backing away from the crowd, before someone tackled and subdued him. "At first, it was disbelief. I thought maybe it was like a terror attack," said Carter, who delivers customer orders from Walmart. "And then it was fear, disbelief, shock. And that was, it was just amazing. And it all happened fast. Like he was totally subdued on the ground by the time police arrived." Emergency vehicles and uniformed first responders gathered in the parking lot of the shopping centre that houses several other retail stores. Authorities also were seen interviewing employees, still wearing blue uniform vests and name tags as the investigation unfolded. Tiffany DeFell, 36, who lives in Honor, about 40 kilometres from Traverse City, said she was in the store's parking lot when she saw chaos erupt around her. "It was really scary. Me and my sister were just freaking out," she said. "This is something you see out of the movies. It's not what you expect to see where you're living." Shea said the weapon involved appeared to be a folding-style knife, adding that the stabbing started near the checkout counter of the store and that his victims were "not predetermined." Walmart said in a statement that it would continue to work closely with law enforcement in the investigation. It said store associates would be paid while the store remains closed and that counselling services would be made available to them. It wasn't known when the store would reopen. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a social media post that bureau officials were responding to "provide any necessary support."
Yahoo
28-07-2025
- Yahoo
Suspect facing terrorism charge in stabbing of 11 people at Michigan Walmart
A 42-year-old man is facing charges of terrorism and assault with intent to murder after he allegedly stabbed 11 people at a Walmart store in Michigan and was apprehended by a group of citizens, including one armed with a gun, authorities said on Sunday. The suspect, whom authorities identified as 42-year-old Bradford James Gille of Cheboygan County, Michigan, allegedly entered the Walmart store in Traverse City, about 150 miles north of Grand Rapids, around 4:10 p.m. on Saturday and began attacking people with a folding knife, Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea said at a news conference on Sunday afternoon. "It appears that these were all random acts," said Shea, adding that the attacks began near the checkout area. Shea said investigators are combing through security video that recorded nearly all of the attack. Witnesses helped law enforcement officers stop the attack and take the suspect in custody, Shea said. Bystander video that surfaced online and was confirmed as authentic by the sheriff showed a group of citizens, including one who drew a handgun on the suspect, forcing him to drop his knife. "What they did was amazing," said Shea, adding that the citizens likely saved others from being attacked. Shea said a sheriff's deputy who was near the Walmart at the time of the attack responded to the scene in less than a minute and placed the suspect under arrest. A motive for the attack remains under investigation, Shea said. Shea said the suspect attacked the victims without any warning and without making any verbal threats. He said one person was stabbed just outside the store, another was stabbed in the vestibule of the store and the remaining nine victims were attacked inside the store. The victims, six men and four women, ranged in ages from 29 to 84, Shea said, with three of the victims in their 80s and one in his 70s. The victims were taken to Munson Medical Center in Traverse City, with six of them initially listed in critical condition and the remaining five in serious condition, authorities said Saturday. "Over the past 12 hours, we've seen encouraging signs of recovery from our patients," Munson Healthcare said in an updated statement on Sunday morning, which noted that seven of the stabbing victims were in fair condition and four were in serious condition. Officials said during the Sunday afternoon press conference that five of the stabbing victims were now in fair condition, four were in serious condition and one had been released from the hospital. Shea said no other suspects are being sought in the attack: "We believe he acted alone at this time." Grand Traverse County Prosecuting Attorney Noelle Moeggenberg said during Sunday's press conference that Gille is expected to be arraigned on Monday. Moeggenberg said he's charged with terrorism because he allegedly attempted to strike fear in the community. "Thankfully no one else was injured," the sheriff said, adding, "Eleven is 11 too many but thank God it wasn't more." Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement on X that she was monitoring the situation. "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," she said. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a statement on social media that FBI personnel responded to the scene, "to provide any necessary support to the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office in their investigation of the attacks at the Walmart." In a statement, a Walmart spokesperson said "Violence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and we're thankful for the swift action of first responders. We'll continue working closely with law enforcement during their investigation."
Yahoo
27-07-2025
- Yahoo
A man accused of stabbing 11 people at a Walmart is in Michigan authorities' custody
US Michigan Walmart Stabbing TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — Eleven people were stabbed at a Walmart in Traverse City on Saturday — with six in critical condition — in what a Michigan sheriff said appeared to be a random act. A suspect was in custody, authorities said. Around 4:45 p.m., a 42-year-old man entered the store and used a folding knife to stab 11 people, the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on social media. A sheriff's deputy arrived within minutes and took the man into custody, and people in the store also helped apprehend the suspect and treat victims, the sheriff's office said. The victims' ages weren't immediately released. 'Eleven is 11 too many, but thank God it wasn't more,' Sheriff Michael Shea told reporters. Emergency vehicles and uniformed first responders gathered in the parking lot of the shopping center that houses several other retail stores. Authorities also were seen interviewing employees, still wearing blue uniform vests and name tags, nearby as the response gave way to an investigation. Tiffany DeFell, 36, who lives in Honor, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Traverse City, said she was in the store's parking lot when she saw chaos erupt around her. 'It was really scary. Me and my sister were just freaking out,' she said. 'This is something you see out of the movies. It's not what you expect to see where you're living.' Munson Healthcare said via social media that 11 people were being treated at the region's largest hospital in northern Michigan. Spokesperson Megan Brown said all were stabbing victims. Six people were critical and five were in serious condition late Saturday, she said. Shea said the weapon involved appeared to be a folding-style knife. Shea said the suspect is believed to be a Michigan resident but declined to share further details. Michigan State Police had said earlier in the day that the suspect was in authorities' custody. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said: 'Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence." Walmart said in a statement that it would continue to work closely with law enforcement in the investigation. 'Violence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and we're thankful for the swift action of first responders,' the statement said. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a social media post that bureau officials were responding to 'provide any necessary support.' Traverse City is a popular vacation spot on the coast of Lake Michigan. It is known for its cherry festival, wineries and lighthouses and is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
CTV News
27-07-2025
- CTV News
A man accused of stabbing 11 people at a Walmart is in Michigan authorities' custody
Police tape is seen outside a Walmart where multiple people were stabbed in a violent attack Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Traverse City, Mich (AP Photo/Ryan Sun) TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. — Chaos unfolded at a Walmart in Michigan after a man burst into the store during a calm shopping afternoon and stabbed 11 people at random, authorities say. The attack on Saturday left six victims in critical condition and a suspect in custody. The 42-year-old suspect entered the store shortly before 5 p.m. and used a folding knife to stab 11 people, the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on social media. A sheriff's deputy arrived within minutes and took the man into custody. People in the store also helped apprehend the suspect and treat victims, the sheriff's office said. The victims' ages weren't immediately released. 'Eleven is 11 too many, but thank God it wasn't more,' Sheriff Michael Shea told reporters. Emergency vehicles and uniformed first responders gathered in the parking lot of the shopping center that houses several other retail stores. Authorities also were seen interviewing employees, still wearing blue uniform vests and name tags, nearby as the response gave way to an investigation. Tiffany DeFell, 36, who lives in Honor, about 25 miles (40 kilometres) from Traverse City, said she was in the store's parking lot when she saw chaos erupt around her. 'It was really scary. Me and my sister were just freaking out,' she said. 'This is something you see out of the movies. It's not what you expect to see where you're living.' Munson Healthcare said via social media that 11 people were being treated at the region's largest hospital in northern Michigan. Spokesperson Megan Brown said all were stabbing victims. Six people were critical and five were in serious condition late Saturday, she said. Shea said the weapon involved appeared to be a folding-style knife. Shea said the suspect is believed to be a Michigan resident but declined to share further details. Michigan State Police had said earlier in the day that the suspect was in authorities' custody. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said: 'Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence.' Walmart said in a statement that it would continue to work closely with law enforcement in the investigation. 'Violence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and we're thankful for the swift action of first responders,' the statement said. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a social media post that bureau officials were responding to 'provide any necessary support.' Traverse City is a popular vacation spot on the coast of Lake Michigan. It is known for its cherry festival, wineries and lighthouses and is about 25 miles (40 kilometres) east of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Mike Householder And Ryan Sun, The Associated Press
The Independent
27-07-2025
- The Independent
A man accused of stabbing 11 people at a Walmart is in Michigan authorities' custody
Chaos unfolded at a Walmart in Michigan after a man burst into the store during a calm shopping afternoon and stabbed 11 people at random, authorities say. The attack on Saturday left six victims in critical condition and a suspect in custody. The 42-year-old suspect entered the store shortly before 5 p.m. and used a folding knife to stab 11 people, the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office said in a statement on social media. A sheriff's deputy arrived within minutes and took the man into custody. People in the store also helped apprehend the suspect and treat victims, the sheriff's office said. The victims' ages weren't immediately released. 'Eleven is 11 too many, but thank God it wasn't more,' Sheriff Michael Shea told reporters. Emergency vehicles and uniformed first responders gathered in the parking lot of the shopping center that houses several other retail stores. Authorities also were seen interviewing employees, still wearing blue uniform vests and name tags, nearby as the response gave way to an investigation. Tiffany DeFell, 36, who lives in Honor, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Traverse City, said she was in the store's parking lot when she saw chaos erupt around her. 'It was really scary. Me and my sister were just freaking out,' she said. 'This is something you see out of the movies. It's not what you expect to see where you're living.' Munson Healthcare said via social media that 11 people were being treated at the region's largest hospital in northern Michigan. Spokesperson Megan Brown said all were stabbing victims. Six people were critical and five were in serious condition late Saturday, she said. Shea said the weapon involved appeared to be a folding-style knife. Shea said the suspect is believed to be a Michigan resident but declined to share further details. Michigan State Police had said earlier in the day that the suspect was in authorities' custody. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said: 'Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence." Walmart said in a statement that it would continue to work closely with law enforcement in the investigation. ' Violence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and we're thankful for the swift action of first responders,' the statement said. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a social media post that bureau officials were responding to 'provide any necessary support.' Traverse City is a popular vacation spot on the coast of Lake Michigan. It is known for its cherry festival, wineries and lighthouses and is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
