TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. − Authorities on July 27 were still trying to determine why a 42-year-old man went on a stabbing rampage at a local Walmart, wounding 11 people and prompting chaos as patrons scrambled to exit the building.
The attack began July 26 at about 5 p.m. − a busy time for the sprawling store. One witness said he watched in horror as the suspect, armed with a folding knife near a checkout counter, cut a woman’s throat.
The suspect was subdued within minutes with the help of bystanders at the store, Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea said in a briefing. Six people were initially listed as critically injured and five others were listed in serious condition, Munson Healthcare said in a social media post. On July 27, citing “encouraging signs of recovery,” the conditions were upgraded to seven in fair condition, four in serious condition.
“Based on the information that we have at this time, they were random acts,” Shea said.
He declined to offer further details about the suspect or motives pending further investigation, which were being aided by the state police and the FBI.
Stabbing spree at Michigan Walmart leaves 11 injured, six critically
More than 10 police cars sit in the Walmart parking lot in Traverse City, Michigan, after a mass stabbing incident left 11 injured.
Bystander tackled suspect
Steven Carter told the Associated Press he was loading his truck in the Walmart parking lot when he saw a man cut the woman’s throat. Minutes later, the man was surrounded by several shoppers in the parking lot, including one who was holding a gun, Carter said.
The group repeatedly yelled to the man “drop the knife,” Carter said, adding that the man responded: “I don’t care, I don’t care.” Someone tackled and subdued him, Carter said.
“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.”
Traverse City, on Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is home to about 15,000 people with a metropolitan area of 150,000. The city, about 250 miles north of Detroit, sits on a bay off of Lake Michigan and is a popular tourist destination. The 99th annual National Cherry Festival, an eight-day celebration that can draw 500,000 people to the area, wrapped up two weeks ago.
“No area is immune to this kind of activity,” Shea said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Michigan knife attack: 11 wounded, 6 critically at Michigan Walmart