By Hanna Park, CNN

(CNN) — Nearly a dozen people were stabbed at a Walmart in Traverse City, Michigan, Saturday afternoon, in what police are calling a “random” act by a lone attacker. Six of the injured were still in critical condition hours later.

“It appears that these were all random acts,” Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea said at a news conference. “The victims were not predetermined,” and there’s no indication of additional suspects, the sheriff added.

Bystanders scrambled to help capture the suspect and treat the stabbing victims as police and emergency responders rushed to the scene, officials said.

The suspect, a 42-year-old Michigan resident, was taken into custody by police within minutes of the attack, the sheriff’s office said.

Residents of Traverse City, a small community on the shore of Lake Michigan, are now left grappling with what the sheriff called a “very uncommon” act of violence in the area.

Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said she has been in contact with law enforcement about the “horrible news” and commended first responders for their swift action.

Here’s what we know about the brutal, broad-daylight attack.

Stabbing unfolded near the checkout area

About 4:45 p.m., a 42-year-old man entered the Walmart in Garfield Township and, armed with a “folding knife,” stabbed 11 people in the store’s checkout area, according to the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office.

“I was just at register, and all I hear is ‘someone’s got a knife’,” Anna Luke, a 20-year-old Walmart employee, told CNN affiliate WXYZ. “I heard just people crying and calling their family, their loved ones,” she said, telling WXYZ she and others ran from the scene.

Outside the Walmart, part of a larger shopping complex, emergency vehicles lined the parking lot as first responders secured the scene, according to video footage obtained by the Associated Press. Authorities were seen speaking with employees, many still clad in their blue vests and name tags, as the response shifted into an active investigation.

Tiffany DeFell, 36, told the AP she was in the parking lot when the chaos around the stabbing attack erupted.

“It was really scary. Me and my sister were just freaking out … This is something you see out of the movies. It’s not what you expect to see where you’re living,” she said.

A sheriff’s deputy arrived at the scene “within minutes” and took the suspect into custody, the sheriff said. “Citizens in Walmart also assisted in the apprehension and treatment of victims,” the sheriff said, without providing details. The suspect was not injured, he said.

A video obtained by CNN appears to show several people confronting a man in the Walmart parking lot, yelling at him to “throw the knife” away and lay on the ground. It’s unclear in the video, taken from a distance, whether the man is holding anything or throws the alleged knife away. The video also appears to show several people attending to a victim nearby.

Eleven victims, six in critical condition

Munson Healthcare, a hospital system in northern Michigan, was treating the 11 victims from the stabbing attack, according to a statement on their Facebook page. Six victims were in critical condition, and five in serious condition as of Saturday night, the statement said.

Three of the victims underwent surgery after the attack, according to the sheriff, who said the 11 injured include six men and five women. The ages of the victims were not immediately disclosed.

All of the victims were stabbed, Munson spokesperson Megan Brown told the Associated Press.

Investigation underway amid outcry over random attack in small community

Authorities have not yet released details about the suspect, including his identity and potential motive. The timing of the suspect’s arraignment and the charges he may face have also not been announced.

State and federal law enforcement are assisting with the investigation into the apparently random attack, officials said.

The FBI is assisting the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office in the investigation, FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said on social media.

The Michigan State Police Crime Lab was en route to assist in processing the scene Saturday, according to the sheriff.

Walmart corporate spokesperson Joe Pennington condemned the attack in a statement to CNN, saying, “violence like this is unacceptable. Our thoughts are with those who were injured and we’re thankful for the swift action of first responders.”

“We’ll continue working closely with law enforcement during their investigation,” he added.

Officials and residents are expressing shock that such an attack happened in Traverse City, a community of about 16,000 that’s known for its Great Lake beaches, wineries and cherry festival.

Violence “is very uncommon for our area,” the sheriff said. “But unfortunately … no one is immune to this.”

Gov. Whitmer lamented the “horrible news” of the attack and said, “Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence.”

Traverse City is home to former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and his husband, Chasten Buttigieg, who live there with their children.

“Along with the whole Traverse City community, Chasten and I are shaken by the awful and senseless violence at Walmart earlier today,” Buttigieg said on X. “We’re thinking of everyone affected and hoping and praying for speedy recovery for all those who were injured.”

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2025 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.

CNN’s Zoe Sottile, Danya Gainor and Diego Mendoza contributed to this report.