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UMich

A Bumped Shoulder, a Pocket Knife to the Throat, and Then Both Kept Shopping

MIaggravated assaulttimely warninghigh confidence
Confirmed Threat

A felonious assault occurred at the Target store at 231 S. State Street in Ann Arbor on April 1, 2024, at approximately 8:40 p.m. EDT. Two individuals bumped into each other at the entrance, triggering a verbal altercation during which the suspect brandished a folded pocket knife and placed it against the victim's throat. The University of Michigan Division of Public Safety and Security issued Crime Alert 2024-02, which was later canceled after the suspect was identified.

Alerts
1
Response
Killed
Injured
Institution
University of Michigan
Public R1 · MI
~48,000 studentsDPSS Crime Alert
Confirmed Timeline

Alert Sequence

1 message in sequence · 1 verified verbatim

INITIAL ALERTEmail
Crime Alert 2024-02 Incident: Felonious Assault Date/Time of Incident: April 1, 2024, at approximately 8:40 p.m. Location: Target, 231 S. State Street, Ann Arbor The Ann Arbor Police Department is investigating a Felonious Assault that occurred at the Target store on 231 S. State Street, on April 1, 2024, at approximately 8:40 p.m. Two individuals were walking in the door when they bumped into each other. A verbal altercation occurred, and the suspect brandished a folded pocket knife and placed it against the victim's throat. The victim pushed the suspect away, and the suspect exposed the blade. They separated, and both continued shopping before they left the store. Suspect Description: Black male, 6' tall, approximately 20 years of age, thin build, short curly hair. Wearing a dark navy or black jacket. If you have any information, please contact the AAPD tip line at 734.794.6939 or email tips@a2gov.org. Contact the Division of Public Safety & Security at 734.763.1131.
The narrative detail that both individuals 'continued shopping before they left the store' after a knife-to-throat confrontation is one of the more unusual incident descriptions in Clery timely warning history
The Target at 231 S. State Street is immediately adjacent to the University of Michigan campus, placing it within Clery-reportable public property
Michigan law classifies this as felonious assault (MCL 750.82) rather than aggravated assault, reflecting state-specific terminology that differs from Clery Act categories
The crime alert was later canceled after the suspect was identified, following UMich's practice of canceling alerts when the ongoing threat is resolved
Context

Background

The Target store at 231 S. State Street sits directly adjacent to the University of Michigan's central campus, making it a high-traffic location for students and a Clery-reportable property. The Michigan Daily covered the incident, noting the unusual circumstances of the assault. The University of Michigan's Division of Public Safety and Security issues crime alerts as its version of Clery Act timely warnings, and maintains an interactive crime alert map that allows the community to track the geographic distribution of reported crimes. UMich follows a practice of canceling crime alerts when the ongoing threat is resolved, typically because a suspect has been identified or apprehended. This practice provides closure but can also make archived alerts harder to find, as canceled alerts may receive less visibility in the system.
Analysis

Key Findings

The felonious assault occurred at a Target store immediately adjacent to campus, a commercial property that falls within Clery-reportable geography due to its proximity
Michigan uses the term 'felonious assault' (MCL 750.82) rather than 'aggravated assault,' which can create confusion when mapping state criminal codes to Clery Act reporting categories
UMich's practice of canceling crime alerts when threats are resolved provides closure but may reduce the long-term visibility and archival value of these notifications
The bizarre detail that both parties continued shopping after a knife-to-throat confrontation illustrates the unpredictable nature of interpersonal violence that triggers Clery reporting
Outcome
Suspect identified. Crime alert canceled. Ann Arbor Police Department led the investigation.
Provenance

Sources

  1. Official
  2. Student Paper
  3. Official
Tags
felonious-assaultaggravated-assaulttimely-warningmichigankniferetail-locationcanceled-alert
Added April 2026Updated April 2026Via ingestion