Key points
- A man is in custody
- Six in critical condition
- Suspect, 42-year-old Michigan man
- He allegedly used a folding knife in the incident
ISLAMABAD: Eleven people were wounded in a stabbing incident at a Walmart in Traverse City, Michigan, officials said Saturday evening. A man is in custody.
Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael D Shea said in a news conference that the stabbings happened near the checkout area of the store and appeared to be random in nature.
According to CBS News, the suspect, a 42-year-old Michigan man, was not injured when taken into custody, the sheriff’s office disclosed.
He allegedly used a folding knife in the incident.
🚨BREAKING: At least 11 people were stabbed in a horrifying attack inside a Walmart in Traverse City, Michigan.
The knife-wielding attacker was ultimately subdued by two brave shoppers before authorities arrived and took him into custody.
The identity of the suspect has not yet… pic.twitter.com/KxGlRmpzMS
— I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸 (@ImMeme0) July 27, 2025
“Based on the information that we have at this time, it appears they were random acts,” Shea said of the attack in Traverse City, Michigan.
“Folding knife”
“The victims were not predetermined,” Shea said, adding that the suspect, a Michigan resident, apparently acted alone and used a “folding knife.”
Six victims were in critical condition late Saturday, and five were in serious condition, Munson Healthcare said in a statement.
At least three of the victims were undergoing surgery, according to Shea. The victims included six men and five women.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she was in touch with law enforcement regarding the “horrible news.”
“Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence,” Whitmer said in an X post.
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.
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) July 26, 2025
Eyewitness Julia Martell told The New York Times she heard screaming and saw a man with a knife running through the store’s pharmacy section.
Martell said she saw the man shoving and stabbing people as he moved through the store.
The 30-year-old witness described seeing three people with stab wounds and “blood everywhere.”
Shea said the stabbing spree initially started near the checkout area of the store.
“It is very uncommon for our area,” he said of the violence, adding that citizens in the Walmart “assisted” in apprehending the suspect.
Popular tourist destination
Traverse City is a popular tourist destination located on the shore of Lake Michigan.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said agents were providing “any necessary support to the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office in their investigation of the attacks at the Walmart.”
