2 teens charged in shooting, carjacking of Lehigh Valley wrestling great Sammy Sasso

• Wrestler Sammy Sasso was shot Aug. 18 in a carjacking
• Police arrested and charged two teens Monday with felony robbery and assault crimes
• Sasso is a state champion wrestler from Nazareth and four-time All-American at Ohio State

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Police charged two teens in the shooting of Ohio State wrestler Sammy Sasso during a carjacking Aug. 18.

A 16-year-old boy and 15-year-old girl are accused of aggravated robbery and felonious assault of Sasso, a Nazareth Area High School graduate and two-time Pennsylvania state wrestling champion.

Police arrested the two Monday.

Sasso, 23, was in an alley outside of his car and speaking with two children at 8:32 p.m. Aug. 18 when the suspects approached the vehicle, according to police. A confrontation ensued and one of the suspects pulled a firearm and shot Sasso before the suspects got in his car and fled, according to a police report.

Police recovered the car two days later.

Sasso, a four-year All-American wrestler at Ohio State with one more year of eligibility remaining, was shot in the stomach.

He had two surgeries after being rushed to a hospital – one to reconstruct his colon and another to remove the bullet that had lodged near his spine, causing nerve damage, according to a GoFundMe established by his family. He is unable to walk now without assistance and will require physical therapy to learn how to walk again, the GoFundMe said.

By early Tuesday afternoon, it had raised more than $102,000 of its $100,000 goal, with nearly 1,000 donors.

Said the GoFundMe organized by Lorraine Sasso, his mother: “Sammy’s journey has taken an unexpected turn, yet even in the face of adversity his spirit remains unbroken. The love and support pouring in from around the country is a testament to the mark Sammy has left on our hearts. Now, more than ever, Sammy needs support from the community.”