Michigan Man Launches Random Knife Attack Inside Walmart

Bradford James Gille mughsot

A 42-year-old man, Bradford James Gille, entered a Walmart Supercenter in Traverse City, Michigan, armed with a knife. He walked toward the self-checkout area, where a 13-year-old girl and her friend were checking out. Suddenly, they heard an employee yell, “He’s got a knife!” Panic erupted.

Gille proceeded to stab 11 people — five men and six women — including a Walmart employee. The victims ranged in age from 21 to 84 years old. Two of them, Matt Kolakowski and his brother-in-law Chris O’Brien, witnessed the attack unfold. Kolakowski, a former Marine, chased after Gille despite not being armed.

Kolakowski watched as Gille stabbed a man in the shoulder and an elderly woman in the back while trying to flee the store. In the parking lot, Kolakowski saw his opportunity and rammed a shopping cart into Gille’s ankle. He then slammed the cart into Gille again, though Gille managed to dodge it. Other bystanders joined in, helping trap Gille between large metal poles and nearby vehicles.

In an interview, Kolakowski shared,

“He was screaming something about him being a soldier, and that everybody in Walmart were bad people.”