Bradford James Gille

Bradford James Gille was born in 1983 and lived in northern Michigan. At the time of the Walmart attack, he was 42 years old and living in Afton, Michigan.

Public records and reporting indicate that Gille had a lengthy history of contact with law enforcement and mental-health services. His family had reportedly sought help for him for many years before the attack.

Gille had previous arrests, including offenses involving assault and drugs. In a 2016 case, he was found not guilty by reason of insanity following an earlier criminal incident.

In the days immediately preceding the Walmart attack, authorities were already attempting to locate Gille because of concerns about his safety and the safety of others. A judge had issued an order for him to be hospitalized, but police were unable to locate him before the attack.

Gille's only confirmed attack involving multiple victims was the July 26, 2025 Walmart stabbing.

At approximately 4:43 p.m., Gille began attacking shoppers inside the Walmart in Garfield Township, near Traverse City.

He used a folding knife with a blade approximately 3½ inches long and stabbed 11 people.

The victims included five women and six men, ranging in age from 29 to 84. One of the victims was a Walmart employee. Several victims suffered serious or life-threatening injuries, although all 11 ultimately survived.

Gille used a folding knife to attack people apparently selected at random inside the Walmart.

Authorities said the attack appeared to be random and had not identified a conventional personal motive such as a dispute with a particular victim. The prosecution initially sought a terrorism charge, arguing that the attack was intended to create fear among members of the public.

Gille remained inside the store for a period before beginning the attack. He moved through the Walmart stabbing multiple people before reaching the entrance and parking lot.

The attack was stopped when shoppers and other bystanders confronted him.

Gille was stopped in the Walmart parking lot by several bystanders.

One man, Derrick Perry, confronted Gille while armed with a handgun. Another man, Matthew Kolakowski, used a shopping cart and then tackled Gille. Other bystanders also assisted in restraining him until law enforcement arrived.

A nearby Grand Traverse County sheriff's deputy arrived approximately two minutes after emergency calls began coming in and took Gille into custody.

Gille was subsequently transported to jail and formally arraigned on the charges.

Gille was initially charged with 11 counts of assault with intent to murder and one count of terrorism. He pleaded not guilty at his July 2025 arraignment.

The case subsequently became dominated by questions concerning his mental state.

In August 2025, a judge ruled that Gille was incompetent to stand trial, determining that he was unable to assist his attorneys in his defence.

Further forensic psychiatric evaluations were conducted.

In September 2026, Gille entered a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity. After reviewing the forensic evaluations, the judge accepted the plea and determined that Gille was mentally ill at the time of the attack and that his illness left him unable to understand that his actions were wrong or control his conduct within the law.

The criminal case therefore ended without a criminal conviction.

Gille was ordered into a state psychiatric facility for treatment rather than sentenced to a term of imprisonment.

The attack occurred at a Walmart near Traverse City during the afternoon, with numerous shoppers inside the store.

The age range of the victims was particularly notable: those injured ranged from 29 to 84 years old. The attack therefore affected both younger and elderly shoppers.

The intervention of bystanders was central to preventing the attack from continuing. Perry and Kolakowski, along with other shoppers, confronted Gille before police arrived.

The terrorism charge was unusual under Michigan law. Prosecutors argued that the attack was intended to intimidate the public, while the defence and legal observers questioned whether the terrorism statute was appropriate given the evidence concerning Gille's mental state.

Gille's history of mental-health problems was also significant. Reporting after the attack indicated that his family had repeatedly attempted to obtain assistance for him over many years. The day before the Walmart attack, authorities had been attempting to locate him under a court order for hospitalization because he was considered a danger to himself or others.

The September 2026 insanity determination means that CrimeTrakr should not describe Gille as a convicted mass murderer. The appropriate description is that he carried out the Walmart stabbing attack, was charged with 11 attempted-murder-related offenses and terrorism, and was ultimately found not guilty by reason of insanity.

• Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Office
• Grand Traverse County Prosecutor's Office
• Michigan State Police
• Michigan Center for Forensic Psychiatry
• 86th District Court
• Munson Medical Center
• Associated Press
• CBS Detroit
• Interlochen Public Radio
• Detroit Free Press
• 9&10 News