Officials: Multiple people stabbed at Michigan Walmart. Suspicion in detention
Multiple people were stabbed at Walmart in Traverse City, Michigan on Saturday, officials say.
Scripps News -WXYZ Detroit
Traverse City, Michigan, authorities were still trying to determine why the 42-year-old man went on a stinging rampage at his local Walmart.
The attack began on July 26th around 5pm – a busy time in the vast store. One witness said he saw him in terror as a suspect and armed him with a folding knife near the checkout counter and cut the woman’s throat.
The suspect was suppressed within minutes with the help of bystanders, Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michaelcia said at a briefing. Manson Healthcare said in a social media post that six people were first seriously injured and five were listed in serious condition. On July 27, citing “signs of recovery,” the conditions were upgraded to 7 in fair condition, and four were upgraded in serious condition.
“Based on the information we had at this point, they were random acts,” Shea said.
He refused to provide further details about suspects or motives that have been pending further investigations supported by the state police and the FBI.
Stephen Carter told The Associated Press that he had loaded his truck into a Walmart parking lot when he saw the man cut the woman’s throat. A few minutes later, Carter said he was surrounded by car park shoppers, including those who had guns.
The group repeatedly yelled at the man “drop the knife,” Carter said. The man replied, “I don’t care, I don’t care.” Someone worked on him and settled down, Carter said.
“I couldn’t believe it at first. I thought it was a scary attack,” said Carter, who delivers customer orders from Walmart. “And that was horror, disbelief, shock. It was amazing. And it all happened quickly, as if he had completely settled on the ground by the time the police arrived.”
Traverse City, located in the Upper Peninsula, Michigan, lives around 15,000 people, with a metropolitan area of 150,000 people. Located about 250 miles north of Detroit, the town is a popular tourist destination in the bay off Lake Michigan. The 99th Annual National Cherry Festival is an eight-day celebration that can attract 500,000 people two weeks ago.
“There are no areas that are immune to this type of activity,” Shea said.
