What Do We Say When It Happens Here?

Editor's Note

We always think it won’t happen here.

At least we hope it won’t. We hope that pain and fear won’t strike our communities, that we’ll be immune from the violence we see in other parts of the state, country, or world.

But on Saturday, July 26, it did happen here. A man stabbed 11 people ranging in age from 29 to 84 years old in the Traverse City Walmart, leaving six in critical condition. The suspect, Bradford James Gille, was detained by brave citizens at Walmart before law enforcement arrived and arrested him.

The story is developing and the investigation ongoing. As Northern Express is a weekly paper, we will undoubtedly be learning more by the time this issue hits newsstands. But here is what we know now:

The 42-year-old Gille is from Afton in Cheboygan County. Our sister publication, The Ticker, reported Gille’s background includes “a history of criminal activity, mental illness, and homelessness—with authorities in Emmet County attempting but failing to take him into protective custody the day before the Walmart attack.”

There is no known motive for his actions. Gille has been charged with 11 counts of assault with intent to murder and one count of terrorism—all of which carry a potential life sentence—and is being held on a $1 million cash/surety bond.

As of press time, one of the victims of the attack had been released from Munson, and all victims are expected to recover.

Over the last week, I’ve seen a lot of stories and theories circulating on social media about the attack, the citizens who stepped up to help, and about Gille. I’ve scrolled through hundreds of comments, and there are three things I have noticed.

The first was an outpouring of love for this community. So many well wishes, offers of support, commendations to those who risked their lives, and more.

The second was useful background on this man and the attack itself. Some family members and acquaintances took to the internet to share their perspectives of Gille, offering context about the man suspected of this heinous crime. Several people also shared their harrowing eyewitness accounts or the videos they took of the attack to help justice be served.

The third thing I saw, and the one that stuck with me the most, was a tirade of angry speculation.

Of course we are all curious—and afraid—in situations like these, and it can be hard to wait for information to come from law enforcement and media outlets. But in the meantime, countless people took to social media to offer their opinions, informed or otherwise, on the events of the day.

In those comments, I saw Gille dubbed everything from an Islamic terrorist to a Christian Nationalist terrorist. I saw people vilifying the unhoused population—particularly those who once lived in The Pines—and people who experience mental illness. I saw threats of violence or death against Gille, certain population groups, and even other commentors. And through it all, there was plenty of misinformation and fearmongering.

We say we don’t want it to happen here, and unfortunately, we don’t have control over the actions of troubled or dangerous individuals.

But we do have control over our voices. We have control over what we post on social media. We have control over the message we put out into the world.

When we are hurt or afraid, we can choose a message of anger. It is a natural impulse and may well be justified. But it’s all too easy to meet an act of senseless violence with more fearful, reactive violence. We spread rumors, jump on the mob-mindset bandwagon, and shout down—or in some cases, threaten—all those who disagree.

Or we can choose a message of unity. We can choose to open our arms to our friends and neighbors and say, “This is hard and heartbreaking. I’ve got you.” We can be thankful that the system worked as well as it could to stop Gille’s attack, from the people who stepped up in Walmart to our law enforcement to the doctors and nurses who saved lives that difficult day.

We can turn toward helping those who suffered the most: the victims, their families, and the other people in the store. We can demand systemic change so that people with histories like Gille’s get the help they need and don’t become a threat. And we can discuss, as a community, how we can keep each other safe, whether that’s watching for signs of a person in distress, learning self-defense, or working to tackle complex issues like homelessness and mental illness here at home.

This is a defining moment for us in Traverse City and beyond. How will we choose to meet it? What will we say, and what will the world say about us?

Jillian Manning is the editor of Northern Express.

View On Our Website