(NewsNation) — A 42-year-old man is in custody after using a folding-style knife to stab several people at a Walmart in Traverse City, Michigan, authorities said Saturday evening.
Eleven victims were taken to Munson Medical Center, where six were in critical condition, a hospital representative told The Associated Press.
Police declined to identify the suspect, who is from Michigan, or say how the apparently random attack transpired. Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea credited citizens with helping to end the stabbing spree but did not elaborate.
“No area is immune to this type of activity, unfortunately,” Shea told reporters. “Eleven is 11 too many. But thank God it wasn’t more.”
Shea said the stabbing began around 4:45 p.m. in the checkout area of the store. The suspect acted alone, he said.
Tiffany DeFell, 36, who lives in Honor, about 25 miles from Traverse City, said she was in the parking lot when she saw chaos erupt around her.
“It was really scary. Me and my sister were just freaking out,” she said. “This is something you see out of the movies. It’s not what you expect to see where you’re living.”
A Walmart corporate spokesperson, Joe Pennington, said by email that the company was “working with police and defer questions to them right now.” A subsequent statement attributed to the company said, “Violence like this is unacceptable.”
Traverse City is located in northern Michigan, about 250 miles northwest of Detroit, and is a popular vacation spot on the coast of Lake Michigan. It is known for its cherry festival, wineries and lighthouses and is near Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
This is a developing news story; The Associated Press contributed to this report. Check back for details.