(NEXSTAR) — Intense footage captures the moment when a group of bystanders challenged an armed individual accused of stabbing 11 people at a Michigan Walmart on Saturday.
Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea stated that Bradford Gille, from Afton, Michigan, entered the Walmart in Traverse City and randomly attacked 11 customers with a knife. Some bystanders confronted Gille in the parking lot, managing to restrain him until law enforcement arrived, according to Shea.
Witness Chris O’Brien captured the interaction between Gille and a group of at least three men in the parking lot.
In the video, shown below, two men can be heard commanding Gille to drop or discard the gun. They are seen approaching him as he begins to retreat. One bystander is visibly holding a firearm while shouting at Gille. During a Sunday press briefing, Shea confirmed that one of the bystanders was indeed armed with a pistol.
Warning: The below video may be disturbing to some; viewer’s discretion is advised.
Several seconds into the video, the men can be heard yelling at Gille to get on the ground. While difficult to hear in the video, Steven Carter, another witness, told The Associated Press that Gille could be heard responding to the crowd, “I don’t care, I don’t care.”
The video then cuts to a man, whom appears to be Gille, standing outside a sheriff deputy’s vehicle in handcuffs. Carter said someone had been able to tackle and subdue the man.
According to Shea, Gille was taken into custody without incident.
Someone in the background can be heard saying, “there are several people stabbed.” Through the rest of the video, several emergency responders can be seen and heard arriving at the scene. The video also appears to show people — first responders and apparent bystanders — tending to injured shoppers.
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 said at a press conference Sunday that one patient was treated and released; two were in serious condition; and the rest are in fair condition. All were expected to survive.
Shea said the “remarkable” efforts of the bystanders likely prevented others from being harmed.
“I cannot commend everyone that was involved enough,” Shea said at a press conference. “When you stop and look from the time of call to the time of actual custody, the individual was detained within one minute.”
The motive behind Saturday’s attack remains unclear. According to Shea, Gille had “prior assaultive incidents as well as controlled substance violations” and said very little as he was arrested. He is expected to be charged with one count of terrorism and 11 counts of assault with intent to murder.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
