Sheriff Updates Walmart Stabbing Case, Commends Citizens Who Stopped Suspect

The Grand Traverse County Sheriff, the county prosecutor, and medical professionals updated the public on Sunday afternoon about Saturday’s stabbing at a Traverse City Walmart store that left 11 people injured.

Sheriff Michael Shea said the injured victims, which ranged in age from 29-to-84-years-of-age, included one Walmart employee. All were transported to Munson Medical Center for treatment. One patient has been treated and released. Two remain in serious condition and the others have progressed to fair condition.

Sheriff Shea identified the suspect as 42-year-old Bradford James Gille of Afton in nearby Cheboygan County. He will be arraigned on Monday or Tuesday. Officials say the weapon used in the stabbings was a folding knife with a three-and-a-half inch cutting blade. A motive has not been determined. Gille faces 11 counts of assault with intent to murder along with one count of terrorism.

Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea addresses the media on Sunday, July 27, 2025. He said the suspect in the Walmart stabbing that injured 11 people is 42-year-old Bradford James Gille of Cheboygan County.
The call came in at 4:43 p.m. and a Grand Traverse County deputy responded to the scene by 4:46 p.m. Sheriff Shea praised the efforts of law enforcement and the people who detained Gille in the parking lot until the police arrived. One bystander carried a pistol, and Sheriff Shea asked the public to respect their privacy.

“For all of those people that were involved, first of all I commend them,” Shea said. “It’s not very often that we have citizens that are willing step up and take action. I ask that we grant them the privacy that they need right now. Give them a little space and say ‘atta boy.’”