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Authorities said Sunday they are seeking to file terrorism charges and 11 charges of assault with intent to murder against a 42-year-old man accused of carrying out a knife attack at a Walmart store in Michigan.
Chaos unfolded at the Walmart on Saturday after the suspect entered the store during a calm shopping afternoon and randomly stabbed the victims with a pocket knife, authorities say. Minutes after the attack, the suspect was in custody with the help of bystanders at the store.
Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea said quick action by bystanders helped to save lives.
“I cannot command everyone that was involved enough. When you stop and look from the time of call to the time of actual custody, the individual was detained within one minute,” Shea said at a press conference. “That is remarkable. When you look at it in that mitigated Lord knows how many additional victims.”
Shea said the 11 victims were both men and women and they ranged in age from 21 to 84. One victim was a Walmart employee. Munson Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tom Schermerhorn said at a press conference Sunday that one patient was treated and released; two were in serious condition; and the rest are in fair condition.
Steven Carter was loading his truck in the Walmart parking lot when he saw a man cut a woman's 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 “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 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 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. As of Sunday morning, Brown said, four of the victims were in serious condition, and seven were in fair condition.
“We’ve have seen encouraging signs of recovery among our patients,” 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 “not predetermined.”
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. On Sunday, a spokesman said he didn't have any details about the store reopening and had no updates beyond the statement released late Saturday.
“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 east of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
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