Walmart stabbing suspect to be charged with terrorism
The Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office announced Sunday that they will seek terrorism charges, among others, against Bradford James Gille, the man they say stabbed 11 people at a Walmart in Traverse City on Saturday night.
(FOX 2) – Questions remain after a man went on a rampage at a northern Michigan Walmart on Saturday, stabbing 11 people in Traverse City.
While Bradford Gille has yet to appear in court, he is expected to be charged with more than a dozen felonies, including terrorism.
Traverse City Walmart stabbing
Timeline:
On July 26, the suspect entered the Walmart in Garfield Township on the outskirts of Traverse City around 4:10 p.m., remaining there until his arrest more than half an hour later.
Around 4:40 p.m., police began getting 911 calls from citizens about someone attacking others.
The suspect, armed with a 3-and-a-half-inch cutting blade, started stabbing people indiscriminately.
Bystanders began confronting the suspect, including one who was armed with a handgun.
A Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s deputy near the Walmart arrived at 4:46 p.m. and found several citizens confronting the suspect in the parking lot. The deputy took the man into custody without further incident.
Over the next several hours, the victims were transported to the hospital and treated for injuries from the blade.
What we know:
Bradford James Gille, 42 of Afton, is being held in jail and is expected to be charged with more than a dozen counts.
The Grand Traverse Sheriff’s Office said it recommended charges including terrorism and 11 counts of assault with intent to murder.
While no motive has been established, Gille has a history of assaulting others as well as violations involving controlled substances.
According to Sheriff Michael D. Shea, very little discussion took place during his arrest, so much remains unknown about the circumstances around Gille’s actions.
The knife that Bradford Gille used to stab 11 people at the Walmart in Traverse City on July 26. ((Photo courtesy of Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office.))
What we know about the victims
There were 11 people who were injured in the mass stabbing. They were taken to the Munson Medical Center in Traverse City. Among those victims was one employee of Walmart and 10 others.
They’re identified as:
- 70-year-old male
- 84-year-old female
- 82-year-old male
- 29-year-old female
- 80-year-old female
- 67-year-old female
- 38-year-old male
- 39-year-old male
- 65-year-old female
- 41-year-old male
- 55-year-old male
Patients arrived at the hospital after 5 p.m. on Saturday, requiring several levels of assistance from health care staff.
As of Sunday, the medical examiner said one patient had been treated and released while 10 others remained. Only two were in serious condition, while the others had “progressed to fair condition.”
All victims are expected to survive.
What’s next:
Gille is expected to be arraigned in court on Monday.
At last check, no scheduled court hearing for the defendant had been set.
What they’re saying:
The sheriff commended the bystanders that got involved and prevented anyone else from being injured.
“I commend them. It’s not very often that we have citizens that are willing to step up and take action, and I ask that we grant them the privacy that they need right now. If they choose to make a public statement, they will. But I would ask that we all just give them a little space and say, attaboy,” said Shea.
“What they did was amazing,” he added.
The prosecutor said the rationale behind the terrorism charge being sought was because the entire community was impacted by a “very random act of violence.”
“It’s something that is done not to individual people, not to those individual victims – obviously they are most affected – but it is in some ways done to affect the entire community. To put fear in the entire community and to change how maybe we operate on a daily basis,” said prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg. “And so that is why we’re looking at that terrorism charge.”
What you can do:
The Grand Traverse County Prosecutor has set up community services that will be available all week.
The services will be available from Monday, July 28 to Wednesday, July 30, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Northwestern Michigan College’s Innovation Center, located at 1701 E Front St. Traverse City, MI.
Licensed therapists will be on site to provide counseling sessions at no cost.
There is also a 24-hour crisis hotline available at 1-833-295-0616.
The Source: A press conference on Sunday with the sheriff’s office and calls to the 86th District Court.