Canadian stabbings: 4 day manhunt for suspect ends with a police arrest

Myles Sanderson was taken into custody near the town of Rosthern, Saskatchewan, about 100km south-west of the area where the killings occurred. (Photo: Reuters)

A four-day search ended Wednesday (September 8) when Canadian police apprehended a suspect in a weekend stabbing spree that killed ten people in and around an indigenous tribal reserve in Saskatchewan.

According to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, Myles Sanderson, 30, was arrested near Rosthern, Saskatchewan, around 100 kilometers southwest of the region where the killings occurred on Sunday (RMCP).

Damien Sanderson, his older brother, and an alleged co-conspirator were discovered dead in a grassy area of the James Smith Cree Nation on Monday, one day after the stabbing spree.

The police have stated that they are examining the possibility that the younger sibling murdered his older sibling.

In a warning announcing the conclusion of the four-day manhunt, the RMCP stated, "There is no longer a risk to public safety relating to this investigation,"

In addition to the ten victims killed, 18 others were injured during the rampage, which ranks among the bloodiest attacks in modern Canadian history and has shaken a nation not accustomed to acts of mass violence.

Some victims appeared to be deliberate targets, while others seemed random.

The attacks occurred on the James Smith Cree Nation reserve, home to approximately 3,400 people, and the neighboring community of Weldon, some 320 kilometers north of the provincial capital of Regina.

The arrest occurred shortly after the RCMP issued an emergency alert stating that an unidentified person suspected to be armed with a knife was sighted driving a stolen pickup vehicle near the town of Wakaw, approximately one hour from the reserve.

The police stated in their announcement that they felt the sighting was related to the manhunt for Sanderson.

His arrest occurred hours after family revealed additional information about the victims and the circumstances of their killings.

During an emotional news conference on Wednesday, Saskatoon Tribal Council Chief Mark Arcand disclosed that his sister, 48-year-old Bonnie Burns, and his nephew, 28-year-old Gregory Burns, were stabbed to death in their front yard on the James Smith Cree reserve between 6 and 7 a.m. on Sunday.

The other three boys and two foster children of Ms. Burns were also at home during the attacks.

"She safeguarded her son and was guarding these three young guys. Because of this, she is a hero. "She is a true matriarch," said Mr. Arcand of his deceased sister.

Mr. Arcand stated that Dayson Burns, 13, was stabbed in the neck but survived and that another little child in the family hid behind a high chair while watching the carnage occurred.

Mr. Arcand told reporters, "During this difficult time, we are simply climbing a mountain... and that mountain is the devastation of what happened to our family member."

Some First Nation chiefs have attributed the murders to drug use, but police have not listed drugs or alcohol as contributing reasons.

As of Tuesday afternoon, health officials reported that ten remained hospitalized, seven in stable condition and three in serious condition.

CBC News stated that Myles Sanderson was considered a fugitive since May when he ceased meeting with his parole officer after serving time for assault, robbery, and other offenses.

It stated that he had accumulated 59 convictions over two decades.

Minister of Public Safety Marco Mendicino stated that the board would investigate the parole release of Sanderson.

Publish : 2022-09-08 09:24:00

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