Suspect accused of stabbing spree at Wisconsin river charged with first-degree intentional homicide
The attack left a 17-year-old boy dead
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A man accused of going on a deadly stabbing spree in St Croix County, Wisconsin, has been charged with first-degree intentional homicide.
Nicolae Miu, 53, of Prior Lake, Minnesota, is currently being held at the St Croix County Jail and was charged today with first-degree intentionally homicide as well as four counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide. He allegedly stabbed five people on the Apple River on Saturday, one of whom has since died.
The St Croix County Sheriff's Office said they received a report that multiple people had been stabbed on the river while they were tubing upstream from a nearby bridge located in the town of Somerset, according to WBAY. The attack occurred on Saturday afternoon.
When deputies arrived at the scene they found five people had been stabbed in their abdomens, and began providing medical treatment. Two of the victims were flown out for treatment and two others were taken in an ambulance to a hospital in St Paul, Minnesota.
The fifth victim was a 17-year-old boy who was taken to a hospital in Stillwater. He was pronounced dead there and later identified by his family as Isaac Schuman.
Mr Schuman was a senior in high school preparing to apply for college. He hoped to pursue an electrical engineering degree and had recently started a car and boat detailing business. His family described him as "mature for his age" with a "forward-looking mentality that was uncommon for a high school senior."
"Isaac entered every room with a big smile, infectiously positive aura, and lifted everyone around him up. He had an incredibly bright future ahead of him and we are all heartbroken and devastated beyond words that his future has been tragically and senselessly cut short. We very much appreciate the overwhelming outpouring of love and support from our friends, Isaac’s friends and the Stillwater Community," his family said in a statement to KARE.
The other victims included a 24-year-old woman, a 20-year-old man, and two 22-year-old men.
Mr Miu was found near a spot where tubers exited the river in Somerset. Witnesses who saw the stabbing told officers he was the culprit and police took him into custody without incident.
He appeared in court on Monday, where he was charged with first-degree intentional homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon, plus four counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide.
If convicted of first-degree intentional homicide, he will be sentenced to a mandatory life sentence in prison.
Officers are continuing the investigation and asking the public to forward any videos or witnessess statements to the St Croix County Sheriff's Office.