One of the suspects in a stabbing that killed ten people and injured 15 in two communities in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan has died of self-inflicted wounds, Canadian police said Monday.
In a press conference, police indicated that Damien Sanderson’s body had been found, while his brother Miles Sanderson was missing. Canadian Mounted Police Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore warned that Miles Sanderson could be injured and very dangerous.
Rhonda Blackmore confirmed Sunday night that “ten out of 13 people have died” in two communities on the James Smith Cree Nation and the nearby town of Weldon.
According to preliminary investigations, some of the victims were deliberately stabbed while others were attacked at random.
James Smith Cree Nation officials declared a state of emergency and created two emergency operations centers “to provide health support to three communities” on the reservation.
Calvin Sanderson, chief of the Sakastipasin community, part of the James Smith Cree Nation, said the stabbings have affected the entire community. “They are our relatives (…) It is very cruel”, he pointed out.
Security forces are continuing to try to track down the suspects in Sunday’s attacks, Damian Sanderson and Miles Sanderson, 31 and 30, respectively.
Regina police said they were working on a multi-pronged basis, supported by mounted police, to “mobilize additional resources for public safety across the city” to take the suspects into custody.
The suspects were first spotted in Saskatchewan’s capital, Regina, but warnings and searches have since extended to neighboring provinces of Manitoba and Alberta, a vast area half the size of Europe.
In addition to the ten deaths, several others were injured, 15 of whom were taken to different hospitals, Rhonda Blackmore added.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority was quoted by the Associated Press as saying several victims were being treated at various locations.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said on Twitter that the attacks were “horrifying and disturbing.”
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