Traverse City man stabbed near Grand Traverse Commons, suspect identified

A 57-year-old Traverse City man was stabbed near Red Drive and Silver Lake Road on Grand Traverse Commons property in Garfield Township, then walked to a nearby Meijer for help shortly before 10 p.m. Tuesday.

Deputies said the man had multiple stab wounds to his chest and rib cage. Meijer staff called for assistance, and deputies and officers gave first aid at the store using a chest seal and pressure before the victim was taken to Munson Medical Center for further treatment.

The Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office said investigators believe the victim and suspect knew each other. By Wednesday, April 15, the agency said there was no known danger to the general public.

Deputies later identified the suspect as 39-year-old Michelle Lee McGrath. The sheriff’s office asked anyone who sees McGrath to call 911 immediately or contact the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office at 231-995-5002.

The stabbing on Grand Traverse Commons property put one of the county’s busiest corridors in the center of a fast-moving police response, with the injured man reaching a major retail store for help on his own before emergency crews took over. The case now remains in the hands of investigators as deputies continue to piece together what happened near the Garfield Township shopping and medical corridor.