WYOMING, Mich. (WOOD) — Shoppers said heavily armed officers rushed into a Wyoming Meijer after two customers were randomly stabbed there.

“It’s definitely the scariest thing that’s ever happened to me,” Baileigh Ford said.

Ford had just gotten off work Monday evening when she stopped at the Meijer store on Clyde Park Avenue near US-131. At first, she said it was hard to know what was happening.

“Police were pouring in,” she said. “(An officer) was sprinting in the same direction while holding an AR-15 rifle and throwing a strap over his shoulder, like trying to strap it to himself, and at that point, I stopped dead in my tracks.”

By the time Ford made it to her car, she said officers had the place surrounded.

Emergency responders at the Meijer on Clyde Park Avenue in Wyoming after a man stabbed two people at random on Feb. 21, 2022. (Courtesy Tyler Truong)
Emergency responders at the Meijer on Clyde Park Avenue in Wyoming after a man stabbed two people at random on Feb. 21, 2022. (Courtesy Tyler Truong)

Wyoming police said its officers responded to the store around 7:50 p.m. after getting a report of a stabbing. Police said the victims are two Wyoming men, ages 19 and 74. The 19-year-old had been released from the hospital as of Tuesday morning. The 74-year-old remained in the hospital and was listed in stable condition.

Another shopper who was still inside the store when it locked down said he came face to face with the suspect shortly before it happened.

“I saw an article today with a photo of the attacker on security camera and (realized) I walked right past him inside the store and never even questioned anything,” Tyler Truong said.

Police said the two shoppers were stabbed at random.

“It just blows my mind that there was no motive or anything and somebody just stopped people randomly,” Ford said.

Lt. Brian Look of the Wyoming Department of Public Safety called it an isolated incident.

“This subject decided to enact some sort of violence on just strangers,” Look said. “Fortunately, like I said, it’s not a common act.”

The suspect was arrested overnight. He was expected to be formally charged Wednesday.

Look said people should still feel safe carrying out their everyday routine, like going to the store.

“You can’t be too cautious, but that doesn’t mean you should hibernate or not go out in public for fear of something like this happening,” Look said.