Five People Attacked, One Fatally, On Apple River In Somerset, Wisconsin
The Apple River Tubing and campground in Somerset, Wisconsin has been known as a place to head out with friends and family rent an inner tube or two, slather on the sunscreen, and generally put your cooler in its own inner tube. Then everyone ties their inner tubes together and off you go down the river for a fun-filled slow ride.
I have been to Apple River a number of times especially when I lived in Minneapolis there was nothing better to do on a hot day than hop on I-94 East To St. Paul and cross over into Wisconsin and Somerset is not too far from the border. Occasionally you might run into a rowdy crowd parked on the river bank or a giant floating party coming from behind, but I always felt safe and we would hang out after we were done tubing and head home. That is why hearing this story I was just in utter shock.
Fast Forward to this past Saturday, July 30. According to St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson: law enforcement was dispatched to Sunrise Park at 3:45 PM to attend to 5 people who had been stabbed. Sheriff Knudson said one of the victims was 17-year-old Isaac Schuman of Stillwater Minnesota who was an honor student and getting ready for his Senior year in High School. He was taken to Lakeview Hospital where he later died.
According to KARE11, the St. Croix County Sheriff's Office announced that "all four of the other victims suffered injuries to their chest/torso areas ranging from serious to critical. The victims include a 20-year-old man and a 22-year-old man from Luck, WI, a 24-year-old woman from Burnsville, and a 22-year-old man from Elk River."
Thanks to witness photographs a 52-year-old Prior Lake man was arrested and formal charges are expected today. Knudson said it's believed that everyone involved in the incident was tubing down the river, together but did not elaborate further as to the cause of the attacks or the motive. The suspect according to witnesses was also tubing with another group. Thank goodness the perpetrator was caught, and let's hope the other victims have a full recovery.