Woman stabbed in Grand Rapids dies, attacker harms himself with knife

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A woman was stabbed to death in downtown Grand Rapids Wednesday morning.

The attack happened just before 9:30 a.m. on Division Avenue near Bartlett Street, according to the Grand Rapids Police Department.

The suspect then pointed the knife at several people, police said. He is receiving medical care in the hospital.

The likelihood of survival is unknown.

WXMI/Daren Bower

Police Chief Eric Winstrom said the incident likely started as a domestic situation. There is not believed to be any threat to the public.

Police are investigating whether there have been previous 911 calls regarding the suspect or victim.

The attack occurred just outside Catholic Central High School but did not impact the school day, according to the chief.

Watch Chief Winstrom’s press conference below

GRPD Chief Winstrom describes fatal stabbing in downtown Grand Rapids

“I see commotion, I look over and he hits her with something. I threw my cigarette on the ground and ran over there,” said Louis Warner.

Around 9:30 a.m., Senior was out taking a work break from Neighbors. He said the suspect was on top of the victim at the door of the business.

Daren Bower

“I tried to get the knife out of his hand,” Warner said. I sliced ​​his hand wider, too bad. “I looked and he was unresponsive.”

At that time, he tried to separate the two.

Daren Bower

“He’s holding her, so I try to lift both bodies. And eventually he loosened up and I… I was able to grab the knife and throw it,” Warner said.

When police arrived at the scene, they found a woman who had been stabbed.

Grand Rapids Police Department Chief Eric Winstrom said: “Preliminary reports indicate this appears to be possibly a domestic situation.”

The chief said the suspect was also seriously injured.

“The offender actually stabbed himself multiple times and was transported to a local hospital in critical condition,” Chief Winstrom said.

Daren Bower

The incident occurred at the corner of Division and Goodrich, across the street from the Grand Rapids Catholic Center.

“It was something a lot of people didn’t expect to see today and it was truly devastating for the neighborhood,” Chief Winstrom said.

A person who knew the couple said he saw them arguing from time to time.

James Bischoff said: “They fought all the time. “He is a jealous man and would get angry if someone else talked to the woman without his permission.”

Daren Bower

Police say this type of violence is not typical in the Heartside neighborhood.

“This is still a very safe area and that doesn’t make the pain of losing a human life any easier today, but this is clearly a domestic situation and as a city and certainly as a police department, that was our focus,” Chief Winstrom said.

Chief Winstrom said this was an isolated incident and students at the school were never in danger.

Anyone with information about this deadly shooting is asked to contact the Grand Rapids Police Department at (616) 456-3380. Tips can be submitted anonymously via Silent Observer at (616) 774-2345.

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