In the aftermath of the spate of stabbings in Saskatchewan, one of the two wanted brothers was found dead. The second suspect in this killing is still at large.
Posted at 11:52
Updated at 8:16 p.m.
Damien Sanderson, 31, was found dead in a grassy area in the Indigenous community where the murders took place, near a house being inspected, said the assistant commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), Rhonda Blackmore. His body had “visible wounds” that were not self-inflicted.
“We cannot say for sure how Damian died, but he may have been killed by his brother,” Ms.me Blackmore.
His brother, Myles Sanderson, also a suspect, is still at large. He could be in Regina and could be injured. He might “need care,” added the assistant commissioner.
On Monday, dozens of police were still tracking the man. “We always advise people to be vigilant, Myles Sanderson is considered dangerous. His actions showed that he is violent,” she said.
Myles Sanderson had already been wanted since last May for failing to comply with his judicial review. He had been sentenced to almost five years in prison, notably for assault and theft.
” I can not understand ”
“I’m devastated, I’m angry,” said Melissa Harp, a Weldon resident whose brother-in-law was killed on Sunday. Wes Petterson, 77, was among 10 victims of stabbing attacks in James Smith Cree Nation territory and the village of Weldon, Saskatchewan.
Eighteen people were also injured in the attack. As of Monday evening, 13 patients were still hospitalized. Four patients were in critical condition, nine in stable condition and four people were discharged to their families, Saskatchewan health authorities said.
“I can’t understand why these men would do something like that,” adds Ms.me harp. “The whole community is shaken […] you think your community is safe, and it’s not, now you don’t feel safe anymore,” the woman drops, adding that she heard the news from her daughter. She will remember Mr Petterson as a ‘good-hearted’ man and a ‘pillar of the community’.
According to the police, some victims were targeted by the suspects and others were attacked randomly. No motive was given for the attacks.
“This is the destruction we face when harmful illegal drugs invade our communities,” Bobby Cameron, leader of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN), which represents 74 First Nations, said in a statement Sunday evening. Nations of Saskatchewan, including James Smith.
As of Monday, authorities had still not confirmed the names of the victims, but several other media outlets identified Mr Petterson. According to CBC, APTN and The Globe and MailLana Head, 49, and Gloria Burns, a 62-year-old emergency worker, are also among the victims.
The manhunt continues
On Monday morning, the RCMP announced that the suspects, Damien Sanderson, 31, and Myles Sanderson, 30, now face multiple charges of first degree murder and attempted murder, among other charges. “Warrants for their arrest have been issued for them,” the RCMP said in a statement Monday. “Further charges are expected as the investigation progresses. »
Myles is described as a 6-foot-1 man who weighs 240 pounds. He has brown hair and eyes. On Sunday, the RCMP had indicated that he could travel in a black Nissan Rogue with the license plate SK 119 MPI. An RCMP alert recommends exercising caution in the area, and not approaching the suspect, but reporting their presence by dialing 911.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY RCMP, VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS
Suspects Damien Sanderson and Myles Sanderson
Pierre-Yves Bourduas, former deputy commissioner of the RCMP, maintains that this type of operation requires “the cooperation of the public” and “to have constant communication with the municipal police forces”, adding that the RCMP is probably “overwhelmed”. The federal police force was investigating 13 crime scenes on Sunday.
Flags at half mast
At a press conference on Monday, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he spoke with Cree Nation leaders James Smith and his Saskatchewan counterpart, Scott Moe, “to emphasize that the federal government will continue to be there with the necessary resources”.
Mr. Trudeau also said that “flags on federal buildings in Saskatchewan have been lowered to half-mast, and the flag on the Peace Tower [à Ottawa] was also put at half mast” as a sign of solidarity.
PHOTO PATRICK DOYLE, REUTERS
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau at a press conference
Prime Minister Trudeau urged the public to follow the directives of law enforcement and to share information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects. “If you need someone to talk to, you can go to hopeforwellness.ca to learn more about getting support,” he added.
Several international officials expressed their support for Canada after this tragedy. German Chancellor Olaf Scholz spoke of the “horrifying and devastating” attacks, and Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid tweeted that his country stood “with Canadians in the face of such senseless violence”.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, who said she was “horrified”, promised to “pay tribute to the victims” when she visits Saskatoon in two weeks.
With Alice Girard-Bosse, The Press, Agence France-Presse and The Canadian Press