The Sheriff of St. Croix Scott Knudson described the scene as “chaotic” and “terrifying”. “I’m sure anyone who ever saw it will never forget it,” he told reporters during a press conference on Saturday. “It’s a tragedy.” Five people were stabbed while tubing in the Apple River in Somerset on Saturday afternoon, the sheriff said. A 17-year-old boy from Minnesota was taken to an area hospital, where he was pronounced dead, Knudson said. The other four victims are all believed to have serious injuries, he said. Two victims were airlifted from the hard-to-reach area by helicopter and several ambulances responded. The surviving victims were a woman and three men, all in their 20s, the sheriff said. A suspect fled the scene but was taken into custody without incident, the sheriff’s office said. The sheriff said he was a 52-year-old man from Minnesota. A passerby took a photo of him, which helped authorities locate him, he said. Authorities were searching the area for the knife used in the attack and were interviewing “a number of witnesses,” Knudson said. “We’re actually in the process of trying to divert some of the pipeline traffic around our crime scene,” he said. “That in itself causes some challenges in trying to get them out of the river and gather what we can in a hard-to-reach area. It’s unclear what led to the attack, Knudson said. There is no further threat to the public, the sheriff’s office said. Somerset is located near the Wisconsin-Minnesota border, about 35 miles east of Minneapolis. The Apple River is a popular tubing and camping destination. This is a developing story. Check back for updates.
