Police said both workers were in stable condition after the Sunday afternoon attack at a store on East Jefferson.
DETROIT, MI — Two Family Dollar employees were stabbed Sunday afternoon inside a store on Detroit’s east side, and an injured suspect was arrested shortly after officers arrived, police said.
Detroit police were called to the Family Dollar on East Jefferson Avenue at about 2:12 p.m. Sunday for a reported stabbing. Officers found two employees who had been stabbed during the incident, according to police accounts reported by local news organizations. Both workers were taken for medical treatment and were listed in stable condition.
The suspect was also injured during the incident and was taken into custody soon after police reached the scene, authorities said. Police had not publicly released the suspect’s name, the employees’ identities or details about the suspect’s condition as of Sunday evening.
Authorities also had not announced what led to the confrontation or whether any criminal charges had been filed. Police did not immediately provide a detailed account of what happened inside the store before the employees were injured.
A nearby worker, Daniel Smith, told WDIV-TV that he saw a large police response outside the Family Dollar after walking out of a neighboring business. Smith said he regularly visits the store and knows many of its employees.
Smith told the station that he saw a woman on the ground as police arrived. He also claimed that three employees had been stabbed, but police reported two employee victims. Authorities had not confirmed a third employee was injured.
Smith said violent incidents were not common at the store and raised concerns about security there. He suggested that additional security could help, but his comments about what may have led to the confrontation were not confirmed by police.
The stabbing remained under investigation Sunday night. Police had not released a suspected motive or a fuller sequence of events, and no additional information about possible charges or court proceedings had been announced.
Author note: Last updated November 8, 2026.