Crime
Traverse City Walmart Stabbing Suspect Identified as 42-Year-Old Man
TRAVERSE CITY, MI — Authorities have identified the suspect in the mass stabbing incident at the Walmart Supercenter in Traverse City as a 42-year-old man. The violent attack unfolded just before 5 p.m. on Saturday, prompting a major emergency response and leaving multiple victims injured.
According to local law enforcement and witnesses, the suspect entered the Walmart located at Crossing Circle and began randomly attacking shoppers with a knife.
Within minutes, Traverse City Police, supported by other emergency services, responded to the scene. The suspect was quickly apprehended and taken into custody.
Initial reports indicate that at least eleven individuals were stabbed, including an elderly woman and a child.
Several of the victims sustained serious injuries, with some requiring the application of tourniquets at the scene.
First responders declared a Level 2 Mass Casualty Incident and requested all Advanced Life Support (ALS) units in the county to respond.
Grand Traverse 911 issued a public advisory urging residents to avoid the area, noting there was no ongoing threat to the public.
Eyewitnesses described scenes of chaos inside the store as customers and employees fled in panic. One witness, Tasha Nash, who was inside the store at the time, told Channel2 NOW, “The whole store started screaming and running. There was a guy with a knife — he stabbed six people. I saw a man stabbed in the eye.”
Another witness, Kathryn Ann Clark, told Channel2 Now that her friend’s son and another shopper managed to physically subdue the attacker. “It WAS a stabbing. No shots were fired,” she said, confirming rumors of gunfire were unfounded.
A Walmart employee corroborated that victims were found in multiple departments throughout the store, with some reportedly going into cardiac arrest following the incident.
Witness Amber Paull said the attacker appeared to “lose it” on random people in the produce and grocery aisles. She also described the heroic actions of a bystander who attempted to intervene with a firearm but was urged to flee along with others as the situation escalated.
Police have not yet released the suspect’s name, nor a possible motive, but confirmed that he is in custody and the investigation is ongoing.
Traverse City, located roughly 125 miles north of Grand Rapids, remains shaken by the unexpected violence.
Authorities are continuing to interview witnesses and review surveillance footage as they work to determine the full scope of the incident.
Crime
Former Texas Worship Minister and Christian Musician Jon Sheptock Arrested on Child Sexual Abuse Material Charges
MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas — A married Christian musician and former worship minister who once performed at a rally for former President Donald Trump has been arrested on multiple child sexual abuse material (CSAM) charges, authorities confirmed.
According to officials, Jon Sheptock, a former minister at First Montgomery Baptist Church, was taken into custody on September 26 by detectives from the Montgomery County Constable’s Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Unit.
He faces charges of possession and production of child pornography following a detailed investigation into allegations of long-term misconduct.
The arrest was based on testimony from a woman who alleged that Sheptock stole a photograph of her approximately nine years ago, when she was 17 years old.
The victim told investigators that after sending her the image, Sheptock demanded explicit photographs and later sent her a video depicting a violent assault, warning that he “did not want that to happen to her.”
Court records further indicate that Sheptock showed the victim nude images of both adults and minors on his computer.
Investigators allege that the misconduct continued as recently as October 2023, when Sheptock reportedly sent a text message to the victim containing a nude image of young girls.
Before his arrest, Sheptock was widely known as a Christian recording artist and motivational speaker.
His now-deleted website biography stated that he was born without arms and with one leg shorter than the other, yet went on to describe himself as a “thriving Christian recording artist and speaker.” He has been married for 26 years and is the father of three daughters.
In a public statement, First Montgomery Baptist Church confirmed that Sheptock was immediately removed from all ministry responsibilities following his arrest.
The church emphasized that Sheptock did not hold any position involving direct contact with children, and there is no indication that minors associated with the church were involved or affected.
Sheptock gained wider public attention in January 2022, when he performed the national anthem at a rally for then-President Donald Trump, according to The Independent.
If convicted, Sheptock faces a potential prison sentence ranging from two to twenty years.
The investigation remains ongoing, and authorities are encouraging anyone with additional information to contact the Montgomery County Constable’s Office Human Traffic.