Ohio State University wrestler Sammy Sasso shot near campus, recovering in hospital

COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Ohio State two-time Big Ten wrestling champion Sammy Sasso was shot in Columbus and was in the hospital Saturday with non-life-threatening injuries, the university’s wrestling coach said in a statement.

Police said a call came in around 8:30 p.m. Friday for a shooting near the University District, The Columbus Dispatch reported. Sasso was found in an alley near campus and taken to The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in serious condition, the newspaper reported.

Coach Tom Ryan said in the statement that Sasso was being monitored in the hospital on Saturday.

“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,” Ryan said in the statement.

The Ohio State University Police Department is assisting Columbus police with the ongoing investigation, according to the statement.

Few details were available on the shooting, which some reports said was connected with a robbery attempt, the Dispatch reported, and 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.