"That's our hero" — Megyn Kelly praises Marine veteran who stopped Walmart stabbing suspect after attacker injured 11 in epic takedown

Megyn Kelly discussed the recent Walmart stabbing in Michigan in the July 29, 2025, episode of The Megyn Kelly Show. During the episode, Kelly praised the Marine veteran who had helped stop the suspect.

"That’s our hero, Derrick Perry, yelling at him to drop the knife, to lay down, taking command of the situation," Megyn Kelly said.

According to a CNN report dated July 27, 2025, the stabbing incident took place at a Walmart in Traverse City, Michigan. A 42-year-old Michigan resident allegedly entered the store and injured several people with a folding knife.

As per the report, the Grand Traverse County Sheriff, Michael Shea, stated that 11 people were injured. Out of them, six were critically injured and five suffered serious injuries due to stabbing. Three of the victims also underwent surgery.

He also stated that the law enforcement team arrived on the scene within minutes and took the suspect into custody. Authorities believe the attacker acted alone, as there was no information about "additional suspects". Additionally, Shea didn’t name the suspect publicly and stated his actions were "all random."

Referring to the Walmart stabbing incident, Kelly cited the statement made by the sheriff’s office. She added that the “attacker” had “entered a store in the mall around 5:00 p.m.” She further emphasized that the situation could have been much worse if not for Derrick Perry’s intervention.

Kelly reported that Perry was “a Black man” and “a Marine veteran.” She then played mobile phone footage captured during the incident, showing Perry confronting the suspect in the parking lot.

"This is Derrick Perry...He ran toward the suspect while others fled... And in the video you’re going to see here, he shouts at the attacker while brandishing a small handgun," the journalist added.

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What else did Megyn Kelly say about the Marine veteran who stopped the Walmart stabbing suspect?

Megyn Kelly (Image via Getty)

In the aforementioned episode of The Megyn Kelly Show, Kelly didn’t just praise the Marine veteran Derrick Perry, who stopped the Walmart stabbing incident suspect. She also reflected on the values he embodied that she hoped to instill in her children.

"I always pray … my children will be strong and will also help and protect those who aren’t… that they’ll develop their own strength. And I mean emotional, not just physical…(and) that they’ll also use those gifts to help people who aren’t as fortunate in that lane. And this guy (Perry) in the Walmart in Michigan did it," Kelly remarked.

Kelly then compared Derrick Perry to Daniel Penny. Penny was another former Marine who became the center of national debate in 2023.

On May 1, 2023, Penny had restrained 30-year-old Jordan Neely. Neely was a homeless man reportedly acting aggressively toward passengers on a New York City subway. Penny's chokehold on Neely led to the latter's death.

Later, Penny was officially charged with Jordan Neely's death. However, according to a BBC report dated December 9, 2024, he was found not guilty of criminally negligent homicide. A second-degree manslaughter charge against him was also dismissed.

Drawing parallels between Perry and Penny, Kelly noted that while both were Marine Corps veterans who took action in public spaces to protect others. However, the podcaster added that Derrick Perry was not receiving “the Daniel Penny treatment.”

"He’s not getting the Daniel Penny treatment… given the circumstances, which I understand—he’s universally, as far as I know, being held as hero," Kelly explained.

She even pointed out the similarity between their names—Derrick Perry and Daniel Penny—suggesting an almost symbolic parallel between the two men.

During the podcast episode, Kelly also mentioned that Perry had a small handgun on him while confronting the Walmart stabbing suspect. She said this underscored her larger point: that trained individuals, particularly American men with military experience, should not be punished for stepping in during emergencies.

"This is why we don’t prosecute the Daniel Pennies. Why we shouldn’t, right? You need, in particular, American men who know what they’re doing," the podcaster explained.

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According to a BBC report dated July 28, 2025, the 42-year-old suspect in the Walmart stabbing incident is facing charges of terrorism and assault with intent to murder. The terrorism charge was considered appropriate, as the scale and nature of the attack were believed to be intended to instill fear in the broader community.

On the other hand, Megyn Kelly hosts The Megyn Kelly Show, a daily talk show and podcast that airs on SiriusXM’s Triumph channel and is also available on YouTube.

Edited by Riya Peter