When a guy carrying a folding knife stabbed eleven people inside a nearby Walmart on Saturday, a peaceful afternoon in Traverse City, Michigan, descended into mayhem. Bradford James Gille, 42, of Afton, Michigan, has been recognized by authorities as the attacker. He is currently being charged with several felonies.
What Happened?
Around 4:43 p.m., a violent attack broke out inside the Walmart Superstore. Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea claims that Gille went into the business and started stabbed victims at random with a folding knife.
A sheriff’s deputy reached the scene in three minutes and took Gille into custody without any more problems. Before police came, the suspect was subdued by bystanders, one of them was a man carrying a pistol.
Sheriff Shea praised the courageous folks in public, saying:
We rarely have citizens who are willing to take initiative and act.
Victim Details
Eleven victims—ranging in age from 29 to 85—were hurt during the attack. Seniors over 60 make up six of those injured. Fortunately, authorities say all victims should recover from their wounds.
Charges Filed Against Gille
Gille is now being held at the Grand Traverse County Jail and is being charged with:
A single instance of terrorism
Eleven incidents of intentional murderous assault
According to authorities, his arraignment is scheduled for either Monday or Tuesday.
Who Is Bradford James Gille?
Gille has a history of drug-related charges and criminal damage, including a 2014 jail sentence of 49 days for vandalism in Florida. Cheboygan, which is around 80 miles from the attack site, was his previous residence.
The discovery of two self-published novels purportedly written by Gille on Amazon further complicated his profile. These texts imply a disturbed state of mind.
According to the books, Gille identifies as a born-again Christian and even asserts that he is Jesus Christ’s reincarnation. He also frequently has nightmares in which he is God and other people are biblical characters like Judas Iscariot.
Although his mental state has not been formally discussed by investigators, these data are anticipated to be taken into consideration in subsequent court cases.
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