One of the two men suspected of fatally stabbing 10 people in an Indigenous settlement and a neighboring town in Saskatchewan has been found dead, according to Canadian authorities, while the other man is still wanted. As the huge manhunt following one of the bloodiest mass murders in Canadian history reached its second day, police charged both suspects with murder and additional crimes.
The males are also thought to be responsible for 19 injuries sustained in the string of stabbings that occurred on Sunday, which prompted the James Smith Cree Nation to declare a state of emergency and alarmed residents of the neighboring community of Weldon.
On the James Smith Cree Nation, one of the suspects, Damien Sanderson, 31, was discovered dead outside a home that was being investigated on Monday. He had “visible injuries,” that police said did not appear to be self-inflicted. Rhonda Blackmore, the commanding officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP, told reporters during a press conference on Monday that the Saskatchewan coroner’s office would identify the man’s precise cause of death.
Myles Sanderson, his 30-year-old brother, is still the subject of a protracted search. He might be hurt, according to the police. If Myles was responsible for Damien’s passing, they did not explicitly say so.
Blackmore issued a warning that Myles Sanderson is still regarded as armed and dangerous despite perhaps being hurt. He is currently charged with three first-degree murders. He was described by police as being 6’1″ and weighing about 200 pounds.
Myles Sanderson was last seen in Regina, the provincial capital, more than 200 miles from the scene of the stabbings, according to Regina Police Chief Evan Bray. Police confirmed that a vehicle believed to be transporting the two suspects had been seen in the Regina region earlier on Monday. They might be operating a black Nissan Rogue, according to police.
With Damien’s passing, there have now been 11 fatalities, 19 injuries, and 13 crime scenes reported in the incident, according to Blackmore.
The assaults’ motivation was unknown, according to the police. Blackmore claimed that while some of the stabbing victims appeared to have been singled out for assault by the suspects, other victims appeared to have been struck by chance.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau denounced the attacks on Monday and urged anyone with information to get in touch with the police.
The attacks that occurred in Saskatchewan yesterday are surprising and devastating, said Trudeau. “Violence of any kind, including this kind, has no place in our nation. We continue to actively monitor the situation, of course, and we encourage everyone to be informed about any developments provided by the authorities. Keeping you and your loved ones safe comes first. So please exercise caution, and if you see anything or have any information, call 911 to report it.”
In an act of solidarity, all flags flying over federal facilities in Saskatchewan have been lowered to half-staff, according to Trudeau.
Residents of Saskatchewan are on edge as a result of the attacks.
“Nobody will ever sleep again in this town. They’ll be too afraid to even open their door “Ruby Works, a resident of Weldon and a relative of one of the victims, stated.
“Lots of people are grieving. This morning and yesterday, there was a lot of worry in our province and in our communities “Says Bray.
“What has happened in our province is horrible,” added Blackmore.
The head of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations made a statement that suggested the stabbings may be drug-related, even though authorities have not established a motive.
Two emergency operations centers were established by the elected officials of the Chakastaypasin Band and the Peter Chapman Band, two of the three communities that make up the James Smith Cree Nation.
Chief Calvin Sanderson of Chakastaypasin, who is reportedly unrelated to the accused, claimed that the tragic events have devastated everyone.
The victims, according to Sanderson, were “our families, our friends.” It is quite horrifying.
Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations said, “This is the destruction we face when harmful illegal drugs invade our communities. We demand that all authorities take direction from the chiefs and councils and their membership to create safer and healthier communities for our people.
Myles Sanderson was listed as wanted by Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers in May of last year, stating that he was “illegally at large.”
Although deadly mass stabbings are less common than mass shootings, they do occur occasionally. 29 people were fatally stabbed and slashed in 2014 at a train station in Kunming, a city in southwest China. 19 persons lost their lives in a mass stabbing that occurred in 2016 at a facility for the mentally challenged in Sagamihara, Japan. A year later, three men attacked London Bridge with a car and stabbed eight people to death.
A shocked community
Doreen Lees, an 89-year-old grandmother from Weldon, claimed that while her daughter was drinking coffee on her deck early on Sunday, a car sped past and they both believed they saw one of the suspects. Lees reported that a man approached them and claimed to be hurt and needed help.
However, according to Lees, the man fled after her daughter indicated she would phone for assistance.
“He refused to reveal his face. His face was covered by a large jacket. When we asked him for his name, he kind of mumbled it again, but we still couldn’t make it out “She said. “He said the damage to his face was so severe he couldn’t display it.”
The woman described the man as being alone and “a little shaky.”
“I decided to follow him a short distance to make sure he would be alright. Don’t pursue him, my daughter said; come back here.”
Wes Petterson has been identified as one of the victims by Weldon locals. The 77-year-old widower, according to Ruby Works, was like an uncle to her.
“I fell to the ground after collapsing. She recalled hearing the news, “I’ve known him since I was only a tiny girl,” and continued. She claimed that he cherished his animals, took great pride in his homemade Saskatoon berry jam, and frequently offered assistance to his neighbors.
“He took no action. He wasn’t entitled to this. He was a decent, compassionate man,” Works added.
Robert Rush, a local of Weldon, added that the victim was a kind-hearted widower in his 70s.
He claimed, “He wouldn’t hurt a fly.”
Rush claimed that Petterson’s grown grandson called the police while he was in the basement at the time.
Lana Head, the mother of Michael Brett Burns’ two girls and one of the ten people killed, was another.
Burns told the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network, “It’s disgusting how prison time, drugs, and alcohol can destroy many lives. I’m hurt by all of these losses.
The normal Sunday service at the Weldon Christian Tabernacle Church started with a special prayer for the victims and their families.
At the James Smith Cree Nation, a convenience store that also doubles as a gas station turned into a meeting spot for locals who exchanged hugs and cries of joy.
We shall be closed till further notice due to safety concerns with our community, said a sign on the entrance.
The hunt for the suspects was conducted as spectators flocked to Regina for the annual Labor Day game between the Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers of the Canadian Football League, which was also sold out.
In a press release, the Regina Police Service stated that it was collaborating with Mounties to search for and apprehend the individuals on numerous fronts and that it had “deployed additional resources for public safety around the city, including the football game at Mosaic Stadium.”
At 5:40 on Sunday morning, calls to the police concerning stabbings started to come in. As the two suspects remained at large, the notice that was initially issued by Melfort, Saskatchewan, RCMP at 7 a.m. was later expanded to include Manitoba and Alberta.
According to the Saskatchewan Health Authority, numerous individuals were receiving care at various locations.
In response to the rush of victims, “a need for more employees was made,” authority spokeswoman Anne Linemann wrote in an email.
