A teenager tubing on a Wisconsin river was fatally stabbed by a 52-year-old man, police say. Four other people suffered stab wounds ranging from serious to critical.
The attack happened around 3:45 p.m. Saturday near Somerset. The victims and the suspect were believed to be among about 20 people riding inner tubes on the same stretch of the Apple River. Investigators are attempting to determine whether the suspect knew the victims and what led to the stabbing, WLUK-TV reported.
The suspect, from Prior Lake, Minn., was arrested about 90 minutes later a mile away. A photo taken by a witness to the stabbings helped identify him, St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson said.
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He was being held without bail in St. Croix County Jail on suspicion of first-degree murder, four counts of mayhem and four counts of aggravated battery and was expected to make a court appearance Monday.
The boy who died was Isaac Schuman, 17, of Stillwater, Minn. An honor roll student, he was to begin his senior year of high school this fall.
A Facebook post from his father said: “He was college-bound and ran his own car and boat detailing business. He was an all-around amazing human being and was loved by everyone.”
The other victims were a man and three women ranging from 20 to 24.
Knudson said it took a while for emergency responders to reach the scene because that stretch of the river isn’t close to a road.
The Apple River, which joins the St. Croix on the Minnesota border, is a popular destination for floaters. However, officials have long struggled to limit some of the more disruptive behavior on the river, including public intoxication and nudity.
