11 people were wounded in a stabbing incident at a Walmart in Traverse City, Michigan, officials said Saturday evening. A suspect is in custody.
According to Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael D. Shea, the stabbings happened near the checkout area of the store and appear to be random.
The suspect is allegedly a Michigan resident and was uninjured when they were taken into custody.
Law enforcement found a “standard holding knife-style weapon” at the scene.
Shea added that there was “citizen involvement” during the incident, though he did not elaborate on what that meant.
“This was a joint effort all the way through, and, as I mentioned, the citizens, too,” he said about the response to the incident.
Michigan State Police said in a post on X Saturday afternoon that the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office is investigating the incident. The agency asked that people avoid the area while the investigation is ongoing.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said personnel with the federal agency are responding to assist with the investigation.
Northern Michigan-based Munson Healthcare said in a Facebook post that it was treating the 11 injured at its medical center in Traverse City and was “working closely with local authorities and emergency services to ensure the best possible care for those impacted,” though their conditions were unknown on Saturday night.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said the following in response to the stabbings:
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.
A Walmart corporate spokesperson, Joe Pennington, told the Associated Press by email that the company was “working with police and defer questions to them right now.”
Traverse City is about 255 miles northwest of Detroit.
