TRAVERSE CITY (WWJ) -- Walmart is being sued over the mass stabbing attack at a Traverse City store last summer, as some victims claim the retailer shoulders some of the blame.
Bradford Gille, 42, is accused of stabbing 11 people at the store in July, 2025.
He's been charged with terrorism and assault with intent to murder, but was in August found mentally unfit to stand trial.
Law firm Morgan and Morgan filed the lawsuit on behalf of 41-year-old Aaron Bdeau, who was shopping with his wife and four children when he was stabbed by Gille.
The lawsuit accuses Walmart of ignoring its own safety protocols, even as shoppers noticed saw Gille wandering the store while wearing a large backpack.
Witnesses said Gille was acting strangely, standing off to the side at one point, his eyes darting around, then pacing back and forth in between aisles.
Some witnesses said when they saw Gille — who was in the store for about 30 minutes before the attack — acting "sketchy," they skipped some of their shopping to avoid him. One witness said they thought he might be shoplifting.
At a news conference, the plaintiffs' attorney David Stuckow said he believes that, while Gille did the stabbing, Walmart also is to blame due to alleged negligence in security.
Stuckow said that some former Walmart employees told him they never received training on what to do if they see suspicious behavior.
The lawsuit alleges that Walmart should have identified Gille as suspicious, that the retailer failed to follow its own policies, that workers ran away, and that they should have called police sooner.
Boudot nearly bled to death, but he and the other ten victims, ranging in age from 29 to 84, all survived. One victim was a Walmart employee, authorities said,
Gille was ultimately detained by an armed shopper outside the store, and was arrested when police arrived three minutes later.
WWJ Newsradio 950 has a call out to Walmart for comment on the lawsuit.
Gille, who has a history of mental disorders, may yet stand trial in the criminal case. A forensic psychologist testified last summer that said, while Gille is not currently competent for trial, he believes Gille could be restored to competence through further treatment.