A remote Indigenous village in western Canada was placed on lockdown Tuesday as police stormed the region in search of a suspect thought to be hiding there following a spate of fatal stabbings.
Sunday’s attack in the James Smith Cree Nation and the town of Weldon resulted in 10 fatalities and 18 injuries.
A major manhunt occurred for two brothers across the wide Prairies region, at one point centering on Regina, the provincial capital of Saskatchewan, 300 kilometers (185 miles) to the south.
Tuesday, police issued an urgent message saying that investigators had “received reports of a probable sighting” of 30-year-old suspect Myles Sanderson. This abruptly shifted the focus back to this Indigenous village.
Police entered the town in highly armored trucks while urging inhabitants to “take immediate shelter/shelter in place.” A police helicopter flew over the indigenous community.
Monday night, federal police assistant commissioner Rhonda Blackmore stated that the mangled body of the second suspect, 31-year-old Damien Sanderson, was discovered in a grassy area close to a house being investigated in the James Smith Cree Nation.
She claimed that the younger Sanderson, who is also wanted for violating parole in May after serving time for assault and robbery, is suspected of killing his brother.
“He may be wounded and should get medical care,”
Blackmore was added to the mix.
There is currently no confirmed motive for the rampage. However, Myles Sanderson’s history of explosive violence has resulted in nearly sixty prior convictions.
Residents of the James Smith Cree Nation and the neighboring community of Weldon have recounted immense grief and dread.
Ruby Works, a resident of Weldon, told AFP, “It’s simply horrible.” No longer will our lives remain the same.
The former Olympian recounted a spooky tension that had settled over the region.
“The town is too peaceful…. “People are afraid to leave their houses,” she stated. “Typically, children play outside. Now there are none.”
She stated that prior to the lockdown, inhabitants of the adjoining Indigenous village were also “locking themselves in.”
A terrified small town
People are jammed against the window glass while peering out. They fear that he may return and repeat the offense,” Works added.
I will not sleep till he is apprehended.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the attacks as surprising and painful, saying that “tragedies of this nature have become all too prevalent.”
Since 2017, a gunman posing as a police officer has killed 22 people in Nova Scotia, another has murdered six worshippers at a mosque in Quebec City, and a van driver has killed 11 pedestrians in Toronto.
Tuesday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre criticized the “senseless and terrible” killings during a press briefing.
A few of the victims have been identified on social media, including a veteran, an addictions counselor, a mother of two who worked as a casino security guard, and an elderly widower.
Works fell to the ground “and lost my breath for a minute” upon learning that her 77-year-old friend Wes Petterson was one of those slain, characterizing him as a kind, gentle guy.
Ivor Burns told local radio stations that his 62-year-old sister Gloria Burns was discovered “sleeping in her driveway with her friend and a young lad.” “They were slaughtered,” he declared.
Dillon, her son, said on social media that his mother died “saving a young man while he was being attacked” and that “she would have done the same for any of us… including the man who killed her.”
Several locals and Indigenous elders believe that chronic drug and alcohol misuse has contributed to an increase in violent events in the region.
The police suspect that some of the victims were targeted while others were randomly attacked.
According to officials, eighteen remain hospitalized, including four in critical condition.
© Agence France-Presse