TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – A routine Saturday afternoon turned into chaos on July 26 shortly before 5 pm when a 42-year-old man armed with a folding-style knife allegedly attacked multiple people inside the Walmart Supercenter at Crossing Circle on US-31 in Traverse City. According to Munson Healthcare spokesperson Megan Brown, 11 people were injured in the stabbing spree – six critically and five seriously – leaving the close-knit community reeling.
According to Grand Traverse County Sheriff Mike Shea, the incident started near the check out lanes and proceeded throughout the store. Julia Martell, a Traverse City resident, was inside the store when she heard violence erupt in the pharmacy aisle. “I heard some commotion and some screaming. So I went down to the end of the aisle to see what was going on,” she told Michigan News Source. “By the time I got to the end of the aisle, the guy was shoving somebody in the pharmacy section of Walmart, and he started to head towards me. And I still hadn’t registered what was going on until I saw the guy had a knife. Then I turned and ran down the aisle that I was in.”
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Martell ran for safety as the man continued toward the exit. Martell described him as a male, likely in his late 30s or early 40s, and she said he didn’t appear to be targeting anyone specifically, although she thought that most of those stabbed were customers.
Martell added that she thought that the suspect was cutting people as he tried to get out of the store, saying, “It looked like to me, he was more like cutting his way through, like anyone who got his way or physically couldn’t move out of this way quick enough got the knife.”
It’s unknown how many people the suspect had stabbed before Martell’s encounter with him.
Law enforcement responds swiftly.
Sheriff Mike Shea said in a press conference on Saturday that while this kind of violence is uncommon for the Traverse city area, he also added, “But unfortunately, as I mentioned, no one is immune to this.”
He also said about the victims during a Saturday press conference, “Eleven is 11 too many, but thank God it wasn’t more.” He said that the victims included six males and five females but didn’t comment on their ages.
Officers from the Grand Traverse Sheriff’s Office and Michigan State Police arrived quickly, securing the scene with a large presence of vehicles and personnel. They interviewed employees, witnesses, and shoppers outside the store as they worked to piece together what happened.
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said on social media that FBI personnel had responded to assist with the investigation.
FBI personnel are responding to provide any necessary support to the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office in their investigation of the attacks at the Walmart.
— Dan Bongino (@FBIDDBongino) July 26, 2025
Confusion and concern outside store as workers awaited answers.
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Nearby businesses at Crossing Circle where the Walmart is located, including the adjacent Opa! Grill, were placed on temporary lockdown. Employees from both Walmart and surrounding businesses lingered around, waiting to be released from the scene.
Michigan News Source was on the scene and talked with several Walmart workers who didn’t want to be identified. They said that the police didn’t want them to discuss what happened with the media. However, they were willing to discuss their co-workers and their situation.
“It’s a close-knit place,” said one Walmart employee about the store as he waited to be cleared to leave. He described Traverse City as a close and caring community and said many of the store’s regular customers were like friends. Another part-time worker drove to the store just to check on her coworkers. One employee speculated they might not return to work until at least Monday. Another Walmart employee said mental health support was offered but didn’t specify whether it came from the store or local law enforcement.
Hospital surge.
The stabbing victims were taken to Munson Medical Center in Traverse City for treatment. Grand Traverse Sheriff Mike Shea confirmed, as did Munson Hospital, that there were 11 victims, three of which who were taken into surgery. Shea said that all were alive when they left the scene.
The hospital confirmed an unusually high volume in its emergency department on Saturday and said it is coordinating closely with law enforcement. In their statement, they said, “Our thoughts are with all those affected by this event and we are grateful to the first responders and law enforcement for their swift action.”
The hospital added, “We are working closely with local authorities and emergency services to ensure the best possible care for those impacted. We ask for the public’s patience and understanding as we manage this increased demand.”
It was only last week when the Traverse City Ticker reported that Munson Medical Center experienced what leadership described as its busiest week in the hospital’s history. The emergency department saw a staggering 193 patient visits on Monday, July 21, exceeding any previous single-day record in its archives, well above a typical summer daily average of 155–165 cases.
Governor responds.
News of the attack spread rapidly across Michigan and made headlines nationwide and internationally. Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said: “Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence.”
Who did it?
A man is in custody, but authorities have not yet released his identity or motive. According to multiple reports, he is a 42-year-old Michigan man. Sheriff Shea said in his press conference that he was not familiar with the suspect but he also did not confirm that the man was from the area.
Marine veterans help apprehend suspect.
A video posted to WZZM-13 shows about five men in the Walmart parking lot confronting the suspect, yelling at him to drop the knife. At least one of them can be seen pointing a gun at the suspect.
Lisa Judi Sherm, reporting on a post from the private Facebook page “Greater Grand Rapids Scanner Calls,” which monitors police, fire, and EMS dispatches, shared that Matthew K. of Kent City, Michigan, was one of the heroes who helped apprehend the suspect while on a family vacation in Traverse City. She shares that Matthew (in the purple shirt in the video) found himself in the middle of chaos and didn’t hesitate to act. After checking out at Walmart, he heard a store employee yell over the intercom: “There’s a man with a knife!” As he exited the building, he saw two people – one of them an elderly woman – lying injured.
In her unverified post on social media, Sherm said that, Matthew, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, instantly shifted into action. After instructing his young daughter to stay back, he grabbed a nearby shopping cart and rammed it into the suspect’s Achilles tendon, knocking him off balance. Another quick-thinking citizen, also reported to be a Marine veteran, held the man at gunpoint until he dropped the knife. Several bystanders then tackled the attacker, restraining him until police arrived. This information was reportedly provided to the Facebook group by Matthew’s wife, Jessica.
The aftermath.
About two hours after the incident, the Walmart parking lot was nearly empty, aside from vehicles belonging to victims and employees awaiting clearance to leave. Deputies released people one by one after interviews.
Sheriff Shea emphasized the public is not in danger and that there is no ongoing threat, adding that additional information will be released as it becomes available. He also added that the Michigan State Police Crime Lab is processing the scene.
