The search for the suspected stabber in Canada expands as the community mourns
James Smith Cree Nation (AFP) –
Anne-Sophie THILL, with Michel Comte in Ottawa
Police on Wednesday widened their search for the second suspect in a deadly shooting spree in western Canada, as a battered Indigenous community ventured out of lockdown to mourn their dead.
Sunday’s attack in the Indigenous community of the James Smith Cree Nation and the town of Weldon – the motive for which is unknown – killed 10 and wounded 18.
A manhunt for two brothers believed to be responsible for one of Canada’s worst incidents of mass violence has led police from the remote Indigenous community across a vast prairie region to Regina, the Saskatchewan capital 300 kilometers south , led the back.
The body of one of the brothers, 31-year-old Damien Sanderson, was found in a meadow in the township of Cree on Monday. Authorities said he was most likely killed by his fugitive sibling Myles Sanderson, 32.
The community went into lockdown late Tuesday following reports of a possible sighting of the elder Sanderson, when police flew in in heavily armed vehicles and a helicopter.
But it was soon overturned after police said a search came up empty handed.
“Further investigation has determined that Myles Sanderson is not in the community of James Smith Cree Nation and the RCMP is still searching for him,” the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a warning.
“As his whereabouts remain unknown, we urge the public to take proper precautions,” she added.
Regina Police Chief Evan Bray said in a video address that a “reliable” lead led her to believe Myles Sanderson may have been hiding in that town.
But on Tuesday, new information contradicted this assessment.
“We have received (new) information that leads us to believe he may no longer be in this community,” Bray said Tuesday night.
“As a result, the investigation continues and while we do not know his whereabouts, we are still searching not only in the city of Regina but also in the province.”
– Six men, four women killed –
Several vigils were scheduled for Wednesday evening.
The Saskatchewan coroner has released the names of the deceased victims – six men and four women, ranging in age from 23 to 78.
All but one were members of the Cree community. The other was a widower living in Weldon with his adult grandson.
Those wounded in the attack were seventeen adults and a young teenager, federal police said.
Several of the deceased victims had previously been identified by family and friends on social media, including a veteran, an addiction counselor and a mother-of-two who worked as a security guard at a local casino.
“Lost many family members yesterday, bodies all over the rez, some deceased and many others severely stabbed and bleeding,” wrote Michael Brett Burns on Facebook.
“It was a war zone. The look in their eyes could not express the pain and suffering of those who were attacked,” he said.
Dillon Burns said in another post that his mother, Gloria, tragically died “protecting a young man while he was being attacked,” adding that “she would have done the same for any of us… (even) for.” the man who took her life.”
She was found “lying in her driveway” with two others, her brother Ivor Burns told local broadcasters. “They were massacred.”
Police believe some of the victims were targeted and others were attacked indiscriminately.
Ten people – some of whom had been airlifted on Sunday – remain hospitalized, including three in critical condition, according to the Saskatchewan Health Department. Seven others were released.