A quiet Saturday afternoon turned into a nightmare at a Michigan Walmart after a man allegedly went on a stabbing spree, targeting unsuspecting shoppers — including the elderly and disabled — before a group of bystanders stopped him, one of whom was armed.
Bradford Gille, 42, of Afton, is facing one charge of terrorism and 11 counts of assault with intent to murder after authorities say he stabbed nearly a dozen people with a 3.5-inch folding knife inside the Walmart in Garfield Township.
According to the Grand Traverse Sheriff’s Office, the victims range in age from 29 to 84, including several seniors in their 70s and 80s.
One shopper, Julia Martell, told local news stations WPBN and WGTU that the attack appeared deliberate. “He was going after people who couldn’t physically get out of his way,” she said. “People in wheelchairs. It was awful. There was blood everywhere. There were people just sitting at the ends of aisles, bleeding.”
The mayhem unfolded around 5 p.m. Saturday, triggering multiple 911 calls. As officers raced to the scene, it was a group of quick-thinking citizens in the store’s parking lot who ultimately stopped the attacker.
In a statement, the sheriff’s office said a deputy arrived at 4:46 p.m. to find several people confronting Gille outside the store, including one man who was armed with a pistol. Together, they managed to detain the suspect and prevent further violence until police could take him into custody.
A motive has not been revealed, and it’s unclear if Gille has spoken to investigators.
Witnesses remain shaken. Tiffany DeFell, 36, was shopping with her sister when the violence broke out. “It was really scary,” she told the Associated Press. “This is something you see out of the movies. Not in your local Walmart.”
Another witness, Walmart delivery driver Steven Carter, said he saw one of the most disturbing moments of the attack up close. “I saw him slash a woman’s throat,” he told the AP. Carter also claimed that Gille was defiant as bystanders subdued him, allegedly yelling, “I don’t care, I don’t care.”
Gille is currently being held at the Grand Traverse County Jail and was awaiting arraignment as of Sunday.
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Author: thedailycrime1
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