Canada extends manhunt for suspect in stabbing spree that killed 10

Myles Sanderson, 30, remained on the loose and possibly injured, police said on Monday, after they found his brother Damien Sanderson, 31, dead in a grassy area of the James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan. The brothers are suspected of killing 10 people and wounding 18 more in a stabbing rampage on Sunday that devastated an indigenous community in one of the deadliest attacks in Canada's modern history.


Reuters | Updated: 06-09-2022 21:13 IST | Created: 06-09-2022 21:13 IST
Canada extends manhunt for suspect in stabbing spree that killed 10

Canada's extensive manhunt extended into its third day on Tuesday with hundreds of officers searching for the surviving suspect in a stabbing spree that killed 10 people, roiling a country where mass violence is rare. Myles Sanderson, 30, remained on the loose and possibly injured, police said on Monday, after they found his brother Damien Sanderson, 31, dead in a grassy area of the James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan.

The brothers are suspected of killing 10 people and wounding 18 more in a stabbing rampage on Sunday that devastated an indigenous community in one of the deadliest attacks in Canada's modern history. Police said some of the victims appeared to have been targeted, while others were apparently random. (Graphic: https://tmsnrt.rs/3cKaBP0)

Some First Nation leaders have linked the killings to drug use but police have not identified drugs or alcohol as a factor. The stabbings have caused "immeasurable stress and panic" in the community, leaders from a group of 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan said in a statement on Monday, pleading for members of the public to come forward with any relevant information.

Ivor Wayne Burns, a resident of the James Smith Cree Nation, said the Sanderson brothers belonged to First Nations communities and were under the influence of drugs at the time of the crimes. Hundreds of police officers were searching for Myles Sanderson, who was considered armed and dangerous, said Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore of the Saskatchewan Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Sanderson has been wanted since May, when he stopped meeting his parole officer after serving a sentence for assault, robbery, mischief and uttering threats, CBC News reported. Over two decades, the suspect had 59 convictions for crimes, CBC reported, citing Parole Board of Canada documents.

Police said they were investigating whether Sanderson may have also killed his brother, and could have sustained injuries that might cause him to seek medical attention. There were few details about the victims, which included men and women spanning a wide range of ages.

People from the area said a mother of two, a 77-year-old widower and a first responder were among the victims. Since Sunday's violence, at least two shootings were reported in Saskatchewan, neither believed to be connected to the stabbings.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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