Ohio State champion wrestler in serious condition after being shot during reported robbery

An Ohio State wrestler is in serious condition at a hospital near the school’s campus after being shot Friday night.

Sammy Sasso was shot at around 8:30 p.m. on the 1300 block of North High Street and was transported to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.

Buckeyes wrestling coach Tom Ryan confirmed that one of his team’s members had been the victim of the “senseless shooting.”

While in serious condition, Ryan later added that his injuries were “not lifethreatening.”

“Our coaching staff, along with members of the wrestling program and Athletics administrators, are grateful for the caregivers at WMC, thankful Sasso’s injuries are not life-threatening, and are supporting Sasso and his family. OSUPD is assisting Columbus Police with the ongoing investigation,” Ryan said, via the Columbus Dispatch.

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The outlet says the incident is still under investigation, and few details were available on the shooting. But some reports said it was connected with a robbery attempt. No suspects had been taken into custody.

Sasso, from Nazareth, Pennsylvania, was a fifth-year senior this past season and is a two-time NCAA runner-up, including this past season.

He just completed his redshirt senior season, winning the Big Ten title for the second time at 149 pounds. Sasso went 29-4 overall this past year, and 8-0 in the conference, having also won it in 2021; he placed second in 2020 and 2022.

Sasso qualified for the NCAA Tournament four times and went 12-4 in his career at the tournament. He lost the 149-pound final to Cornell’s Yianni Diakomihalis, now a four-time NCAA champion. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.