Emily Brown
Four people have been injured and one person has died following a stabbing attack which took place while they were tubing down a river in Wisconsin.
The incident unfolded on Saturday afternoon (30 July), when the victims and suspect were tubing as part of two different groups that included a total of about 20 people.
Investigators are working to determine whether the suspect, a 52-year-old man from Prior Lake, Minnesota, knew the victims of the attack. The incident unfolded as they travelled on a difficult-to-access section of Apple River near the town of Somerset, Wisconsin, about 35 miles east of Minneapolis.
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Authorities were called to the scene at 3.47pm local time, after which both deputies and citizens are said to have started to provide medical care to the victims.
One 17-year-old who was involved in the attack was taken by ambulance to Lakeview Hospital in Stillwater, but was pronounced dead.
The victims who were left injured included two men in their early 20s from Luck, Wisconsin; a 24-year-old woman from Burnsville, Minnesota, and a 22-year-old man from Elk River, Minnesota.
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Two of the victims were flown to a nearby hospital while the other two were taken by ambulance. The four surviving people are said to be in stable condition after suffering injuries ranging from serious to critical in their torso or chest areas.
The suspect had left the scene when authorities arrived, but St. Croix County Sheriff Scott Knudson said they were arrested about an hour and a half after the attack after being identified by witnesses.
He told the Star Tribune: "Thank goodness a witness had taken a photo of him. Another witness located him at the exit of the tubing area, where he was taken into custody.
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"We don't know yet who was connected to who, who knew each other or what precipitated it," Knudson said, adding: "It's a tragic day."
The suspect is now being held at the St. Croix County jail, with records showing a 52-year-old man is being held without bond on suspicion of first-degree homicide, four counts of aggravated battery and four counts of mayhem.
A statement from St. Croix County Sheriff's Office said the investigation is ongoing and investigators are still attempting to interview witnesses and victims about 'the sequence of events', as well as to determine a motive for the stabbing.
The sheriff's office encouraged anyone with footage of the events to come forward and expressed thanks to those who stepped in to help the victims.
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