Authorities seek to file terrorism and assault charges against suspect in Walmart knife attack

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) — A man accused of entering a Walmart in Michigan and randomly stabbing 11 shoppers before being detained by bystanders in the store parking lot is expected to face terrorism and multiple assault charges, authorities said Sunday.

Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea said a motive behind the attack by Bradford Gille, 42, of Afton, Michigan, remains unclear. Gille, who Shea said had “prior assaultive incidents as well as controlled substance violations,” said very little as he was arrested. The man is expected to be charged with one count of terrorism and 11 counts of assault with intent to murder.

Shea praised the quick response by law officers who arrived within three minutes of receiving the call about the stabbing — as well as a group of bystanders who intervened and detained Gille in the parking lot of the store in Traverse City. The community of about 16,000 people is along Lake Michigan.

Gille entered the store at 4:10 p.m. and remained there for some time before the attack began, authorities said. Calls began coming in to authorities at 4:43 p.m. on Saturday and a sheriff's deputy arrived at 4:46 p.m.

He said the “remarkable” efforts likely prevented others from being harmed, adding a 3 and 1/2 inch (nearly 9-centimeter) cutting blade was used in the attack.

“I cannot commend everyone that was involved enough,” Shea said at a news conference. “When you stop and look from the time of call to the time of actual custody, the individual was detained within one minute.”

Gille remained jailed and his name did not appear Sunday in Michigan’s online jail records. Messages left Sunday with phone numbers and an email listed for Gille were not immediately returned. His previous court cases did not have an attorney’s name listed in public records.

Grand Traverse County Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg told reporters that the terrorism charge will be brought due to the fact that the attack impacted the community, rather than one individual.

“It’s something that is done not to individual people, not to those individual victims — obviously they are most affected — but it is, we believe, 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,” Moeggenberg said. "So that is why we are looking at that terrorism charge."

Shea said the 11 victims were both men and women and they ranged in age from 29 to 84 and included one Walmart employee. Munson Medical Center Chief Medical Officer Dr. Tom Schermerhorn, speaking at Sunday's news conference, said one patient was treated and released; two were in serious condition; and the rest are in fair condition. All were expected to survive.

Steven Carter was loading his truck in the Walmart parking lot when he saw a man with a knife stab a woman in the throat.

About five minutes later, he said, the attacker was surrounded by shoppers in the parking lot, including one who was holding a gun. The group of five or six people kept yelling to the man to “drop the knife,” he said, and the man responded: “I don't care, I don't care.” He kept backing away from the crowd, before someone tackled and subdued him.

“At first, it was disbelief. I thought maybe it was like a terror attack,” said Carter, who delivers customer orders from Walmart. “And then it was fear, disbelief, shock. And that was, it was just amazing. And it all happened fast. Like he was totally subdued on the ground by the time police arrived.”

Emergency vehicles and uniformed first responders gathered in the parking lot of the shopping center that houses several other retail stores. Authorities also were seen interviewing employees, still wearing blue uniform vests and name tags as the investigation unfolded.

Tiffany DeFell, 36, who lives in Honor, about 25 miles (40 kilometers) from Traverse City, said she was in the store's 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.”

Shea said the weapon involved appeared to be a folding-style knife, adding that the stabbing started near the checkout counter of the store and that his victims were “not predetermined.”

Walmart said in a statement that it would continue to work closely with law enforcement in the investigation. It said store associates would be paid while the store remains closed and that counseling services would be made available to them. It wasn't known when the store would reopen.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a social media post that bureau officials were responding to “provide any necessary support.”

Traverse City is a popular vacation spot. It is known for its cherry festival, wineries and lighthouses and is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

__

Casey reported from Boston. Associated Press writer Sophia Tareen contributed from Chicago.

This photo provided by the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office on Sunday, July 27, 2025, shows the knife that authorities say was used to stab 11 people at a Walmart on Saturday, July 26, in Traverse City, Mich. (Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office via AP)

This photo provided by the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office on Sunday, July 27, 2025, shows Bradford Gille, who is accused of stabbing 11 people at a Walmart on Saturday, July 26, in Traverse City, Mich. (Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Munson Medical Center, the hospital treating 11 stabbing victims after an attack at a Walmart on Saturday, is seen here on Sunday, July 27, 2025, in Traverse City, Mich. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Law enforcement officers investigate outside of a Walmart, Sunday, July 27, 2025, where a multiple stabbing took place on Saturday, in Traverse City, Mich. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Grand Traverse County Sheriff Mike Shea, left, speaks alongside Prosecutor Noelle Moeggenberg during a news conference Sunday, July 27, 2025, after 11 people were stabbed at a Walmart in Traverse City, Mich. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Walmart employees and customers wait outside while law enforcement investigates the scene after a stabbing incident in Traverse City, Mich., Saturday July 26, 2025. (Jan-Michael Stump/Traverse City Record-Eagle via AP)

Law enforcement officers are seen stationed outside a Walmart where 11 people were stabbed in a violent attack Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Traverse City, Mich (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Law enforcement officers are seen stationed outside a Walmart where multiple people were stabbed in a violent attack Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Traverse City, Mich (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

A shopping cart anchors police tape outside a Walmart where multiple people were stabbed in a violent attack Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Traverse City, Mich. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Law enforcement officers are seen stationed outside a Walmart where several people were stabbed in a violent attack Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Traverse City, Mich. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Law enforcement officers are seen stationed outside a Walmart where several people were stabbed in a violent attack Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Traverse City, Mich. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

Police tape is seen outside a Walmart where multiple people were stabbed in a violent attack Saturday, July 26, 2025, in Traverse City, Mich (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

BOSTON (AP) — When Zdeno Chara signed with the Boston Bruins in 2006, the No. 3 he wore early in his career had already been retired by the Original Six franchise.

So he picked No. 33 without giving it much thought.

“Little did I know how meaningful 33 was,” Chara said on Thursday night before his number was raised to the TD Garden rafters not far from where Larry Bird's No. 33 already hangs in Celtics green.

It is the 13th number retired by the Bruins, and the latest in a collection of Hall of Fame defenseman that runs from Eddie Shore to Bobby Orr to Raymond Bourque.

“It's a huge honor,” Chara told reporters. "I can’t explain to you how honored I feel. I’m humbled about being selected to be one of the numbers being retired. Being with that history, forever."

The 2009 Norris Trophy winner and a 2025 Hockey Hall of Fame inductee, Chara spent 14 of his 24 NHL seasons in Boston, leading the Bruins to the 2011 Stanley Cup championship. His 1,680 games is the most of any NHL defenseman; at 6 feet, 9 inches (2.06m), he is the tallest player in league history, and his 108.8 mph (175.1 kmh) slap shot in the 2012 skills competition remains the NHL record.

But his teammates and other Bruins attending Thursday's ceremony said Chara's biggest contribution was signing with a team that hadn't won a playoff series in six years — “the best decision I ever made” — and turning them into champions.

“Things really changed when Zee came here as a free agent,” Bourque said. "From that point on, the culture and everything that comes with that, and the success and the run that they had, he was such a big part of that.

“He’s a legend,” Bourque said. “He really deserves to be up there.”

Bourque was among the former Bruins greats in attendance, along with Orr — both of them, like Chara, Boston defensemen who finished their careers elsewhere on their way to the Hall of Fame. They arrived via gold carpet that led them past adoring fans and the statue of Orr flying through the air following his Cup-winning goal in the 1970 finals.

Other fellow retired number honorees in attendance included Cam Neely, Willie O’Ree, Rick Middleton, Terry O'Reilly and John Bucyk. The current Bruins sat on the bench, all wearing Chara jerseys.

Five members of the 2011 roster — Patrice Bergeron, Mark Recchi, Dennis Seidenberg, David Krejci and Tuukka Rask — carried the retired number onto the ice, and teammate Andrew Ference served as emcee.

In his speech, Chara read the names of every player on the Bruins last Cup winners. Asked why, he said after: “Without championships, you are not going to be successful, you’re not going to be recognized.

"The championships, that’s what they do. They raise everyone, they extend careers for everyone,” he explained. "They create dynasties. They create stories. They create memories. They created what we’re experiencing tonight.

"It’s very simple: Once you win the championship, everything gets so much better for everyone. And the most beautiful thing about it: You create extended families with each other. It’s true. You have bonds, you have friendships that are now still forever. It’s amazing; it’s like you’re seeing your brother. You trust the person; you know everything about them. And anytime anybody needs something, you’re there for them.

“That’s what winning championships do,” he said. “Not just for a career, but for the rest of your lives, it means something very special.”

The ceremony at center ice featured a “Big Zee” ice sculpture flanking the podium and a large No. 33 behind it. Fans were asked to get in their seats two hours early, and the full TD Garden erupted in a giant shout of “Zee!” followed by an extended cheer of “Thank you, Chara!”

A highlight video featured former Bruins Brad Marchand and current coach Marco Sturm, Chara's teammate from 2006-10. Many of them spoke of the way Chara led by example.

“He wasn’t really a ‘Rah, rah!’ guy,” former Bruins forward and current team president Neely said, “but when he spoke, it was with a purpose.”

And so, when it was time to raise his No. 33 to the rafters, Chara stood by with his wife, Tatiana, while their children — Zack, Ben and Elliz — pulled the ropes.

“That’s the biggest reward for me: To see my children and my family doing it instead of me. I think I get better joy watching them doing it than the joy of me doing it because it's so much more meaningful,” he explained. "They deserve that more than me."

AP NHL: https://apnews.com/hub/nhl

Former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara speaks during his number retirement ceremony before an NHL hockey game between the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kraken Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara leads his family over to his number "33" to raise it to the rafters before an NHL hockey game between the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kraken, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, center, waves to the crowd during his number retirement ceremony, as Bruins' players with their number already retired, from left, Willie O'Ree, Rick Middleton, Terrry O'Reilly, Cam Neely, emcee Andrew Ferrance and Bobby Orr look on before an NHL hockey game between the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kraken, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara's number "33" is raised to the rafters at TD Garden before an NHL hockey game between the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kraken Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

Bobby Orr applauds, left bottom, as former Boston Bruins captain Zdeno Chara waves to the crowd during his number retirement ceremony before an NHL hockey game between the Boston Bruins and the Seattle Kraken, Thursday, Jan. 15, 2026, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)