Apple River stabbings: 4 surviving victims are in stable condition, charges expected Monday

SOMERSET, Wis. — Authorities in western Wisconsin have released more details in the fatal stabbing incident at a popular tubing area on the Apple River, including the conditions of the surviving victims.

According to the St. Croix Sheriff’s Office, the dispatch office received reports of a stabbing on the Apple River upstream from Sunrise Bridge in Somerset at approximately 3:45 pm Saturday. When deputies arrived, they found five people with stab wounds to their mid-sections.

“Deputies, as well as citizens, began providing medical care to the victims,” ​​the sheriff’s office said Sunday.

The suspect, a 52-year-old man from Prior Lake, Minnesota, initially ran off but is now in custody. Police say he was with another group that was tubing. He did not have a knife when officers arrested him.

All five victims were taken to area hospitals, with two airlifted to Regions Hospital in St. Paul and another two taken by ambulance to the same location. The fifth victim was taken to Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater where he was pronounced dead.

Authorities said the deceased victim is a 17-year-old boy from Stillwater.

The four victims are all in stable conditions, with injuries ranging from serious to critical in their torso and chest areas. They are identified as:

• 22-year-old man from Luck
• 22-year-old man from Elk River, Minnesota
• 24-year-old woman from Burnsville, Minnesota
• 20-year-old man from Luck, Wisconsin

The suspect’s name is not being released until he’s formally charged, which authorities expect will be Monday. Authorities said he was located near the exit point for tubers on the Apple River, and then taken into custody without incident. He is being held at the St. Croix County Jail.

“The St. Croix County Sheriff’s Office wishes to thank the agencies that responded to assist with this traumatic incident and express our gratitude to the citizens who stepped in to provide care and comfort to the victims,” ​​the sheriff’s office said in the update.

The sheriff’s office said Saturday that it’s unclear if the stabbing was random and investigators are attempting to determine a motive.

Tubing in the area has been closed while investigators work in and out of the river.

Anyone with information, including video, are asked to call Investigator John Shilts at 715-381-4219 or emailing [email protected].