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“I thought to myself, ‘Well, I don’t got no weapon, so what am I going to do?’ So, I just grabbed an empty grocery cart and just took off after him,” Kolakowski told CNN.
He wasn’t alone in that courageous sprint toward danger.
Another Marine veteran, Derrick Perry, just happened to be armed that day—thanks to a recent trip to the shooting range. With danger unfolding in front of him, Perry did what any trained protector would do: he acted.
Good Guys With Guns Change Everything
As Kolakowski jammed his shopping cart into Gille’s leg, throwing the attacker off balance, Perry drew his sidearm and took command of the situation.
“Drop it! Throw the knife now!” Perry barked as he held Gille at gunpoint, according to video footage that has since gone viral.
That command, backed by calm authority and a visible firearm, stopped Gille cold.
“The other Marine told me that he just went shooting at a range, and he forgot to take his pistol off his hip,” Kolakowski explained. “That’s what it all came down to.”
Together, these two Marines—one armed with a gun, the other with a cart—managed to subdue a violent attacker without a single shot fired. Their quick action likely spared lives.
Sheriff Praises Armed Citizens
Grand Traverse County Sheriff Michael Shea made it clear during a press conference just how vital their intervention was.
“What they did was amazing,” Shea said. “I am fairly confident in saying that citizens likely saved others from being attacked.”
Chris O’Brien, Kolakowski’s brother-in-law and witness to the incident, highlighted the calm and control Perry displayed while holding Gille at gunpoint.
“The guy that had the gun showed great restraint, because I think everyone else would have pulled the trigger,” O’Brien said.
The Second Amendment in Action
This was more than just a moment of bravery. It was a real-world example of why the Founding Fathers codified the right to bear arms into the Constitution. The police responded quickly—arriving in just three minutes—but as every self-defense advocate knows, when seconds count, help can still be minutes away.
And in those three minutes? A legally armed citizen made the difference.
Not the Narrative the Left Wants
You won’t see this story plastered across CNN or MSNBC. It flies in the face of the anti-gun media narrative. A trained, responsible citizen with a firearm prevented what could have become a mass casualty event.
Derrick Perry, who has a security background, didn’t fire a single round. He didn’t have to.
His presence—and his willingness to act—stopped the threat cold.
A Community Says Thank You
By Sunday evening, all eleven victims were alive and recovering. Munson Medical Center confirmed that seven were in fair condition, four remained serious, and one had already been released.
“Over the past 12 hours, we’ve seen encouraging signs of recovery from our patients,” Munson Healthcare stated.
Local leaders are now calling for formal recognition of both Perry and Kolakowski. One report said Perry may soon receive a community hero award.
The Takeaway
This is exactly what the anti-gun crowd doesn’t want to talk about—armed citizens saving lives. But there’s no denying what happened in that Walmart: two Marines stepped up when it mattered most.
Sheriff Shea summed it up best: “It’s not very often that we have citizens that are willing to step up and take action.”
Fortunately for Traverse City, two Marines did just that. And because of them, eleven families are praying in gratitude tonight instead of mourning a senseless tragedy.
