A victim of the mass stabbing at a Walmart in Traverse City in July is suing Walmart. The court filing alleges that Walmart’s failures led to the stabbing of 11 people.
The victim filing the suit is Aaron Boudot, who was in the store with his wife and four children. He was stabbed repeatedly while protecting his family. Boudot's family members are also listed as plaintiffs.
Attorney David Stechow says witness testimony and camera footage of the suspect, Bradford Gille, show him looking intently at security systems and darting in and out of aisles as if to check which were clear.
"He was there for over 30 minutes, essentially casing the store. He was not doing any shopping, he wasn't pushing the shopping cart, [he] wasn't carrying a basket," said Stechow.
Stechow says the company has policies in place to prevent attacks like this one, especially after similar attacks in the past, but that there was a failure to follow them in Traverse City.
A press release from the law firm Morgan & Morgan, which is representing the Boudot family, reads:
"The attached lawsuit was filed in Grand Traverse County Circuit Court for lack of and negligent security at this Walmart location, which did not have any security, despite a history of violent incidents and attacks at Walmart stores throughout the country since at least 2016. Walmart instituted 'Active Shooter' training in 2015, but that employees at the Traverse City store failed to carry out any coherent response to the attacks that would have protected their customers."
Gille is also listed as a defendant in the suit.
In an email to IPR, a Walmart spokesperson wrote that "the safety of [Walmart] customers and associates is a top priority. We will review the complaint once served and will respond appropriately in court.”
