Two teenagers were arrested on Monday in connection to the shooting of Ohio State All-American wrestler Sammy Sasso.
A 16-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl were arrested on charges of aggravated robbery and felonious assault following the shooting of Sasso in Columbus, Ohio, earlier this month, police said on Tuesday according to NBC affiliate WCMH.
The suspects were arraigned on Tuesday and they remain in custody at the Franklin County Juvenile Detention Facility, according to police. Their next court date is on Sept. 5.
Sasso, 23, was shot near the campus of Ohio State University at around 8:23 p.m. on Aug. 18 following a confrontation with the suspects, according to police. He was hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries.
Authorities did not specify which suspect shot Sasso. After the shooting, the suspects stole Sasso's car, which was later recovered.
According to a GoFundMe page created by Sasso's family on Aug. 26, he suffered "a gunshot wound to his abdomen as a result of a carjacking." The family said Sasso underwent two surgeries, one to repair his colon and another to remove the bullet near his spine. The bullet's trajectory caused severe nerve damage to his spine, according to the family.
"God bless everyone for their support during this time," Sasso wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, two days after the shooting. "It’s been tough as hell but we are steadily improving. I can’t thank everyone enough for being in my corner."
Sports
Sasso spent three days in the ICU before being moved to an acute care unit, per the family. Doctors are hopeful Sasso will make a full recovery, though he has a "long, difficult road ahead of him," the family said.
"Upon his release from the hospital, he will be transferred to an inpatient rehabilitation facility where he will undergo comprehensive physical therapy aimed at learning how to walk again," a statement from the family read. "At this time, Sammy is unable to walk without assistance."
Feeling out of the loop? We'll catch you up on the Chicago news you need to know. Sign up for the weekly Chicago Catch-Up newsletter.
Sasso, a Nazareth, Pennsylvania, native, is a four-time All-American and two-time Big Ten champion, boasting a career record of 94-12. The fifth-year student also has two runner-up finishes in the NCAA Championships.
Ohio State coach Tom Ryan told FloWrestling that Sasso's "big dream" now is to get back on the wrestling mat.
"Sammy is a very determined person. He loves wrestling as much as anybody I've ever been around and it's kind of etched in his soul, the sport of wrestling," Ryan said. "So the big dream for him right now is just get back to where he can wrestle. It will take some time, but his will is unbelievably strong."
