{"id":5840,"date":"2026-01-13T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-13T13:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/?p=5840"},"modified":"2026-01-10T16:17:00","modified_gmt":"2026-01-10T22:17:00","slug":"grand-marais-co-op-stabbing-leads-to-attempted-murder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/trfnews.i234.me\/wordpress\/grand-marais-co-op-stabbing-leads-to-attempted-murder\/","title":{"rendered":"Grand Marais: Co-op Stabbing Leads to Attempted Murder"},"content":{"rendered":"

Grand Marais, Cook County<\/strong> (trfnews.i234.me<\/a>)<\/p>\n

A Cook County Co-op employee is facing major felony charges after a stabbing inside the store.<\/p>\n

Donovan Michael Vondall, 32, of Grand Portage, is charged with attempted second-degree murder.<\/p>\n

He also faces first-degree assault and second-degree assault charges, according to court documents.<\/p>\n

What the complaint says happened<\/h2>\n

Court records say the attack happened Saturday afternoon, Dec. 27, at the co-op in Grand Marais.<\/p>\n

The victim was identified as Thomas Wayne Peterson of St. Paul.<\/p>\n

Peterson told investigators the attack was unprovoked, the complaint says.<\/p>\n

Peterson said he noticed Vondall looked upset and was sweating.<\/p>\n

Peterson said the suspect was watching him just before the attack.<\/p>\n

Peterson said he felt a sharp hit near his jaw.<\/p>\n

He then saw a knife in the suspect\u2019s hand, the complaint says.<\/p>\n

Peterson said he ran toward the front of the store for help.<\/p>\n

The complaint says Vondall chased him through the store.<\/p>\n

\"Donovan
Donovan Michael Vondall<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Injuries and emergency response<\/h2>\n

A deputy arrived at about 3:48 p.m., court records say.<\/p>\n

Peterson was on the floor with heavy bleeding, the complaint says.<\/p>\n

A bystander pressed bandages to his neck, records say.<\/p>\n

Peterson was taken to North Shore Health<\/a> for emergency care.<\/p>\n

An investigator later interviewed him at the hospital, records say.<\/p>\n

The complaint says Peterson had trouble speaking.<\/p>\n

Records say he suffered nerve damage on the right side of his face.<\/p>\n

Arrest and evidence<\/h2>\n

Authorities later got a call saying Vondall was at home and waiting.<\/p>\n

Court records say he was unarmed when officers arrived.<\/p>\n

He was arrested without incident, the complaint says.<\/p>\n

At the home, authorities found a black fold-out knife, records say.<\/p>\n

The complaint says the knife had a serrated edge.<\/p>\n

Vondall confirmed the knife was his, according to the filing.<\/p>\n

Statements and background noted in court records<\/h2>\n

The complaint says Vondall told investigators he chased Peterson to kill him.<\/p>\n

The complaint also notes past civil commitments in 2012 and 2013.<\/p>\n

A family member told authorities Vondall has schizophrenia, records say.<\/p>\n

The complaint says he was not taking medication at the time.<\/p>\n

Vondall also told investigators he drank alcohol before the incident, the complaint says.<\/p>\n

He said he felt triggered by staring, according to the filing.<\/p>\n

Store closure and reopening<\/h2>\n

The co-op stayed closed after the incident, according to its website.<\/p>\n

The co-op said it planned to reopen Tuesday, Dec. 30, at 12 p.m.<\/p>\n

Charge definitions<\/h2>\n

Attempted murder is charged under Minnesota\u2019s attempt law and murder statutes.<\/p>\n

The assault counts are listed under Minnesota\u2019s first- and second-degree assault laws.<\/p>\n

Related links<\/h2>\n