Marine veteran and brother-in-law detail taking action to stop Traverse City Walmart stabbing
Amid chaos on Saturday afternoon, community members sprang into action to confront the suspect in the Walmart parking lot during the mass stabbing incident.
“I’ve been to Iraq and I’ve seen blood and gore,” Matthew Kolakowsi said. “But I had my kids with me and I would never want them to see that.”
Kolakowsi and his brother-in-law, Chris O’Brien, were on vacation in Traverse City.
“We were going to pick up all the supplies for the boat,” Kolakowsi said. “We got fishing poles and snacks for the kids and drinks and beverages.”
After checking out, they heard a Walmart employee scream that someone had a knife.
“It went from nothing happening to panic,” O’Brien said. “Extreme panic. It was a light switch.”
Kolakowsi, a retired United States Marine, sprang into action.
“I yelled at my daughter and her friend, and I said, ‘stay here.'” he said. “And it was like everybody froze. And then I seen him just right in front of me. And I could see the knife in his hand. It’s like we locked eyes. Me and him did. And I just took off running after him.”
Kolakowsi said he saw a man later identified as Bradford Gille stab multiple people and went after him.
“That’s when I seen the other Marine with the pistol come up and just draw down on him,” Kolakowsi said. “That’s when you see me in the video come around the back and just start screaming and yelling to put the knife down…And his eyes were just crazy. And then he like slowly hesitated to close the blade. And then he kind of just set it down. And the moment he set it down I grabbed it. That’s when we circled him around.”
READ MORE: https://upnorthlive.com/news/local/good-samaritans-step-up-to-help-stop-walmart-stabbing
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@ogeenappa1
September 1, 2025 at 9:53 pm
Semper Fi. I knew there were two but this report is showing a Third guy but not the man with the Gun. I absolutely don’t trust the media. Show all heroes. Period.
@Francisco-s4u1g
September 1, 2025 at 9:53 pm
Where were the cops? Useless PD.
@toddferguson6369
September 1, 2025 at 9:53 pm
The black guy Marine stopped him. These guys just bombed babies in Iraq and Afghanistan
@johnallen695
September 1, 2025 at 9:53 pm
Where were they at? The guy with the gun stopped the stabbed but the media are focused on the lighter version of the story
@flexsealman7096
September 1, 2025 at 9:53 pm
Who else thought the thumbnail was Lex Luger and Tom Segura?
@RCmack
September 1, 2025 at 9:53 pm
I thank Matthew for his service and helping stop the Walmart stabber!
@xipingpooh5783
September 1, 2025 at 9:53 pm
Semper Fidelis🇺🇸
@bfthompson416
September 1, 2025 at 9:53 pm
God bless these real Americans!
@almeganbouchard4914
September 1, 2025 at 9:53 pm
Thank you
@wadestclair249
September 1, 2025 at 9:53 pm
But I thought only immigrants committed crimes in this country….. 😮
@Dean-u9i
September 1, 2025 at 9:53 pm
Well your version of the stabbing smells fake.
Comments are closed.