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TRAVERSE CITY, Michigan: At least 11 people were stabbed at a Walmart in Traverse City, and a suspect was in custody, authorities said Saturday.
Munson Healthcare said via social media that 11 people were being treated at the region’s largest hospital in northern Michigan, and spokesperson Megan Brown said all were stabbing victims.
She did not immediately have information on their conditions. Munson Healthcare said it would provide updates “as appropriate.”
The Michigan State Police said the local sheriff’s office was investigating the incident and details were limited. The agency asked that people avoid the area while the investigation is ongoing.
A fire truck, multiple police vehicles and uniformed first responders were seen outside the Walmart following the incident.
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said her office was in contact with police about the “horrible news.”
“Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence,” Whitmer said.
A Walmart corporate spokesperson, Joe Pennington, said by email that the company was “working with police and defer questions to them right now.”
FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said in a social media post that bureau officials were responding to “provide any necessary support.”
Traverse City is a popular vacation spot on the coast of Lake Michigan. It is known for its cherry festival, wineries and lighthouses and is about 25 miles (40 kilometers) east of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.

VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo discussed the war in Ukraine on Saturday with Metropolitan Anthony, a senior cleric in the Russian Orthodox Church, in a possible effort to ease ties between the churches strained by Russia’s invasion.

Leo saw Anthony, chairman of the department of external church relations, and five other high-profile clerics during an audience in the morning, the Vatican said.

“During the conversation, numerous issues were raised concerning the state of Orthodox-Catholic dialogue, as well as the ongoing conflicts in the world, including in Ukraine and the Middle East,” the Russian Orthodox Church said in a statement.

Since assuming the papacy in May, Leo has repeatedly appealed for peace in global conflicts and this month told visiting Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky that the Vatican was willing to host Russia-Ukraine peace talks.

Russian officials, however, have said they do not view the Vatican as a serious venue for talks because it is surrounded by NATO member Italy which has supported Ukraine.

The head of Russia’s Orthodox Church, Patriarch Kirill, has been an enthusiastic backer of the
invasion of Ukraine.

The Russian church statement said that Kirill’s congratulations were conveyed to Leo for his election as pope.

“Pope Leo XIV expressed his gratitude to his holiness patriarch Kirill for his good wishes and noted the importance of developing relations with the Russian Orthodox Church,” it added.