Eleven Stabbed, No Guns Involved: Just Crazy People

So guess what happened on July 26, 2025, in the peaceful town of Traverse City, Michigan? A 42-year-old man armed with a folding knife stabbed 11 shoppers at a Walmart—six ended up in critical condition, five in serious shape. By the way, no shootings, no bullets—just a knife.

Authorities called it a random act of violence. A sheriff deputy arrived within minutes, but it was everyday citizens who helped subdue the suspect and even assist with treating victims.

Let’s be clear: no guns involved. Yet nearly a dozen people were critically injured. So the next time someone says “the problem is guns,” apparently they’re forgetting knives exist too—or that sometimes, the problem is people, not the weapon.

If the weapon mattered more than the person wielding it, a folding knife wouldn’t have inflicted this carnage. Same story plays out globally—places with strict gun laws see knife attacks rising as an alternate outlet. The UK recorded 282 knife homicides vs. just 35 gun homicides in 2021–22.

So what’s the take-away? Debating “gun control” doesn’t solve all violence. If you’re mentally unstable and decide to attack, you’ll grab something—knife, car, scissors, or sadly, worse.

Now, if gun advocates are itching to say “but think of school shootings”—okay. True, guns magnify damage. But violent impulses exist independently of firearm access. Tragedies like this show that chaotic individuals can kill without a single shot.

Bottom Line:

When an attacker picks a knife over a gun, the narrative that “guns are the problem” evaporates. We’re dealing with people whose minds break, not malfunctioning hardware. And if we’re serious about prevention, maybe we start focusing more on mental health and early intervention—not just bans and bullet points.