Crime
Traverse City Walmart Stabbing Suspect in Custody
TRAVERSE CITY, MI — A major law enforcement and emergency response was launched Saturday evening following a mass stabbing at the Walmart Supercenter in Traverse City.
The incident occurred just before 5:00 p.m., prompting a Level 2 Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) declaration as multiple victims were reported.
According to local officials and eyewitness accounts, at least eleven individuals were stabbed during the attack, with several suffering critical injuries.
Tourniquets were reportedly applied at the scene to control severe bleeding, and CPR was performed on at least one victim in cardiac arrest.
The total number of victims remains unconfirmed as the investigation continues.
Witnesses described a chaotic and horrifying scene inside the store, with panicked customers and employees running in all directions after a man armed with a knife began attacking shoppers at random in various departments.
Victims were reported across multiple sections of the store, including the produce and grocery areas.
Grand Traverse 911 issued a public alert asking residents to avoid the area near Walmart and Crossing Circle, emphasizing that “there is no danger to the public at this time” as the suspect had been taken into custody shortly after the attack.
Eyewitness statements offer further insight into the events. Kathryn Ann Clark told Channel2 Now that her friend’s son and another shopper helped subdue the suspect before police arrived.
Walmart employees confirmed that no shots were fired during the incident.
Tasha Nash, who works at the store, told Channel2 NOW, “Me and my sister work there. The whole store started screaming and running. There was a guy with a knife—he stabbed six people. I saw someone stabbed in the eye.”
Amber Paull reported seeing a man she described as “a foreign guy” randomly attack people in the produce section. “An African American man pulled a hero move and drew his pistol to try and stop him,” she said. “But then people screamed, and employees shouted for everyone to run, and the suspect slipped away into the crowd.”
Suspect is a Michigan resident, police confirmed.
Among the injured were an elderly woman and a child, according to initial accounts.
Law enforcement agencies have not yet released the suspect’s identity or disclosed a potential motive.
The investigation remains active, and officials are working to confirm details regarding the number of victims and the suspect’s background.
Authorities continue to urge the public to avoid the area as the scene is processed.
Updates will be provided as more verified information becomes available.
Crime
Oberlin Professor Pipo Nguyen-Duy and Wife Trần Nam Phong Found Shot Dead at Ohio Home, Son Arrested
OBERLIN, Ohio — Pipo Nguyen-Duy, 64, a longtime professor of studio art and photography at Oberlin College and Conservatory, and his wife, Trần Nam Phong, 47, were found dead with multiple gunshot wounds inside their home in Oberlin, Ohio, according to information released about the investigation.
The deaths prompted a homicide investigation by the Oberlin Police Department. A suspect, identified in the supplied report as Nguyen-Duy’s 31-year-old son Daniel Jones from Ashland, Oregon, was taken into custody. Police said charges were pending.
Oberlin College President Carmen Twillie Ambar confirmed Nguyen-Duy’s identity and described him as a beloved professor who had taught studio art and photography at the institution for many years.
According to Oberlin police, the investigation began shortly before 9 a.m. when officers responded to the Oberlin College Conservatory parking lot at 77 East College Street.
Officers were assisting the Oberlin Fire Department with a vehicle that was smoking and possibly on fire.
Investigators then attempted to locate the vehicle’s registered owner, identified in the report as a 31-year-old man from Ashland, Oregon, to check on his welfare.
Police said the suspect was taken into custody without incident at approximately 10:19 a.m. in the 200 block of Shipherd Circle.
The circumstances connecting the vehicle to the subsequent discovery of the victims were not fully detailed in the information provided.
At approximately 10:28 a.m., Oberlin police officers went to a residence on South Pleasant Street to check on the welfare of the suspect’s family.
Inside the home, officers discovered a 64-year-old man on the first floor and a 47-year-old woman on the second floor. Both had suffered multiple gunshot wounds, police said.
The male victim was identified as Pipo Nguyen-Duy, an established member of Oberlin College’s faculty. The female victim was identified in the supplied information as Trần Nam Phong, 47, although police had not publicly released her identity at the time of the reported update.
Authorities have not provided further details about the circumstances of the shooting or the sequence of events leading to the victims’ deaths.
Nguyen-Duy’s death has brought attention to the loss of a longtime educator within the Oberlin College community.
President Carmen Twillie Ambar described him as a beloved professor of studio art and photography who had served the college for many years.
His work and longstanding role at the institution made the news particularly difficult for members of the college community. Additional information about memorial arrangements or statements from the family was not included in the available report.
Police said the suspect was taken into custody without incident and that charges were pending. The supplied information identifies him as Nguyen-Duy’s son, but authorities had not announced formal charges in the report.
The Oberlin Police Department continues to investigate the double fatal shooting. Officials have not released further details about the motive, the circumstances surrounding the deaths, or the charges the suspect may face.
The case remains under investigation as authorities work to establish a complete account of what happened at the South Pleasant Street residence.