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Wisconsin River Tubers Attacked in Tragic Stabbing

A horrible situation unfolded on the Apple River in Somerset, Wisconsin as multiple people were stabbed in an attack. The news came out earlier on Saturday.

While tubing, a number of people were attacked in what appears to be a random act of violence. A teenager was killed in the attack and another four people were taken to the hospital with critical injuries.

Sheriff Details Wisconsin Stabbing

Police were called to the remote area of the river. St. Croix County Sheriff, Scott Knudson talked to the media after the incident. In total five people were stabbed with a knife according to the sheriff. The Apple River is just on the border of Wisconsin and Minnesota. A popular spot for people in both states, this isn’t something anyone expected when they went out for a refreshing afternoon on the water.

“I’m sure that anybody that witnessed it will never forget it,” the sheriff said to the media on Saturday. “It is a tragedy.”

A 17-year-old boy from Minnesota ended up being pronounced dead at the hospital. Meanwhile, the other four that were stabbed had to be taken by ambulance and helicopter from the hard-to-get-to location. Those four had critical injuries. Among the group injured were one woman and three men. They are all in their early 20s.

Police were able to locate the fleeing suspect after a bystander snapped a photo. He is a 52-year-old from Minnesota and police have not released his name at the time of this writing. The Wisconsin stabbing has led to a difficult situation for police who have to investigate the scene at this time.

“We’re actually in the process of trying to divert some of the tubing traffic around our crime scene,” Knudson went on. That alone is causing some challenges trying to get them off the river, and gathering up what we can in a hard-to-get-to area. It is unclear what led up to the attack.”

Police Say There is No Longer a Threat

After police located the alleged stabber, they had to investigate further. However, there was no longer a threat to the public at that time.

“A Suspect has been located and TAKEN INTO CUSTODY, there is no further threat to the public. We’re still actively investigating this incident. The names of the victims and suspect are being withheld at this time. Sheriff Knudson will provide an official press release at a later time.

“Thank you to the following agencies and our partners for their assistance, Somerset Police Department, New Richmond Police Department, WI DNR, Oak Park Heights Police Department, Washington County Sheriff’s Office, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Lakeview EMS, and Somerset Fire and Rescue.”

For now, police will keep investigating and let the public know their findings when they’re ready.