By Mike Householder and Ryan Sun
Associated Press
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. 鈥� Chaos unfolded at a after a man burst into the store during a calm shopping afternoon and randomly stabbed 11 people, authorities say. Minutes after the attack on Saturday, the suspect was in custody with the help of bystanders at the store.
The 42-year-old suspect, who was a Michigan resident but not known to law enforcement, entered the store shortly before 5 p.m. and used a folding knife to stab the victims, the Grand Traverse County Sheriff鈥檚 Office said in a statement on social media. Their ages weren鈥檛 immediately known.
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A sheriff鈥檚 deputy arrived on the scene within 3 minutes and took the man into custody.
Steven Carter was loading his truck in the Walmart parking lot when he saw a man cut a woman鈥檚 throat with a knife.
About five minutes later, the man 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, 鈥渄rop the knife,鈥� he said, and the man responded: 鈥淚 don鈥檛 care, I don鈥檛 care.鈥� He kept backing away from the crowd before someone tackled and subdued him.
鈥淎t first, it was disbelief. I thought maybe it was like a terror attack,鈥� said Carter, who delivers customer orders from Walmart. 鈥淎nd 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.鈥�
Sheriff Michael Shea told reporters that bystanders at Walmart were involved in detaining the man.
鈥淚 want to acknowledge there was citizen involvement in assisting in taking the individual into custody,鈥� Shea said at a press conference Saturday.
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鈥檚 parking lot when she saw chaos erupt around her.
鈥淚t was really scary. Me and my sister were just freaking out,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his is something you see out of the movies. It鈥檚 not what you expect to see where you鈥檙e living.鈥�
Munson Healthcare said via social media that 11 people were being treated at the region鈥檚 largest hospital in northern Michigan. Spokesperson Megan Brown said all were stabbing victims. As of Sunday morning, Brown said, four of the victims were in serious condition, and seven were in fair condition.
鈥淲e鈥檝e have seen encouraging signs of recovery among our patients,鈥� Brown said.
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 鈥渘ot predetermined.鈥�
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said: 鈥淥ur thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence.鈥�
Walmart said in a statement that it would continue to work closely with law enforcement in the investigation. On Sunday, a spokesman said he didn鈥檛 have any details about the store reopening and had no updates beyond the statement released late Saturday.
鈥淰iolence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and we鈥檙e thankful for the swift action of first responders,鈥� the statement said.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a social media post that bureau officials were responding to 鈥減rovide any necessary support.鈥�
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.
