At least 11 people have been injured in a stabbing at a Walmart store in the Midwestern state of Michigan, with police saying it appeared to be a random attack.

The suspect was in custody, Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea told a press conference.

“Based on the information that we have at this time, it appears they were random acts,” Shea said of the attack in Traverse City, Michigan.

“The victims were not predetermined,” he said, adding that the suspect, a Michigan resident, apparently acted alone.

Six victims were in critical condition late on Saturday (local time) and five were in serious condition, Munson Healthcare said in a statement.

Local media reported three victims were undergoing surgery, citing police. The victims included six men and five women.

At least 11 people were injured in a stabbing at a Walmart store in the Midwestern state of Michigan. Photo / rawsalerts

Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer said she was in touch with law enforcement regarding the “horrible news”.

“Our thoughts are with the victims and the community reeling from this brutal act of violence,” Whitmer said in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

Eyewitness Julia Martell told the New York Times she heard screaming and saw a man with a knife running through the store’s pharmacy section.

Martell said she saw the man shoving and stabbing people as he moved through the store.

The 30-year-old also witnessed three people with stab wounds and described seeing “blood everywhere”.

Shea said the stabbing spree initially started near the checkout area of the store.

“It is very uncommon for our area,” he said of the violence.

Traverse City is a popular tourist destination located on the shore of Lake Michigan.

FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said agents were providing “any necessary support to the Grand Traverse County Sheriff’s Office in their investigation of the attacks at the Walmart”.

– Agence France-Presse