with videoOne of the two suspects in Sunday’s series of stabbings in Canada has been found dead. Deputy Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police announced this at a press conference on Monday.
It concerns 31-year-old Damien Sanderson. The body has visible injuries. Police believe his injuries were not self-inflicted. The other suspect, Myles Sanderson (30), may also be injured. There is currently no trace of him.
Canadian police had been searching for the two suspects in the stabbings since Sunday morning “with maximum means”. Damien Sanderson’s body was found in the yard of a house near the shootings, in an indigenous community in James Smith Cree Nation and the nearby town of Weldon, in the province of Saskatchewan.
Police also say that the two suspects are brothers. They were charged with murder earlier on Monday. Ten people were killed in what is one of the largest mass murders in Canadian history, 18 others were injured.
Police have issued a “dangerous person” warning for the province of Saskatchewan, where the stabbings took place, and neighboring provinces of Alberta and Manitoba.
Critical condition
In an earlier press conference, police confirmed the aforementioned number of deaths and injuries as a result of the stabbings, although the number could be higher: “There may be more injured victims who transported themselves to different hospitals,” said an RCMP official. commander. Several of the injured are still in critical condition.
The deadly stabbings happened in quick succession on Sunday in rural villages in Canada. Police began getting calls about stabbings around 5:40 a.m. According to a police warning issued shortly after noon, the still-living suspect may be in Regina, the capital of the province of Saskatchewan.
The series of stabbings is one of the largest mass murders in Canadian history. The country’s deadliest shooting took place in 2020, when a man disguised as a police officer shot people in their home and set fires across Nova Scotia province. He killed 22 people. In 2019, a man killed ten pedestrians with a van.
Random
Police say some of the victims appeared to have been targeted in the attacks, while others were allegedly chosen at random. “No one in this town will ever sleep again,” said Ruby Works, a Weldon resident and close relative of one of the victims. “They’re going to be terrified to open the door.”
One of the ten victims is 77-year-old Wes Peterson, Canadian news channel APTN reports. The widower was stabbed at his home in Weldon, while his adult grandson was in the basement at the time. Divorced mother Lana Head and her boyfriend also did not survive the attack, Head’s ex confirms to APTN. Head leaves behind two daughters. Hours before the stabbing, she posted on Facebook that she had so many “good memories” to “cherish.”
“It’s sick how prison, drugs and alcohol can destroy many lives,” said Head’s ex-husband Brett Burns. Friends and family were shocked by her death. “Not the way I wish she’d left this world,” said Melodie Whitecap, a childhood friend.
Police say they are investigating 13 crime scenes. The motive of the two is still unclear. The head of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations suggested in a statement that the stabbing could be drug-related. “This is the destruction we face when harmful illegal drugs invade our community,” said Federation chief Bobby Cameron.
Watch our news videos in the playlist below:
Free unlimited access to Showbytes? Which can!
Log in or create an account and don’t miss out on any of the stars.