At least 10 dead, 15 injured in random Canada stabbing spree

Three Canadian provinces were on alert Sunday as police sought two suspects on the loose after a stabbing spree left 10 people dead and 15 wounded across central Saskatchewan.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in Saskatchewan issued a “dangerous persons alert” for Damien and Myles Sanderson, who were believed to be driving a black Nissan Rogue.

The stabbings took place in the indigenous community of James Smith Cree Nation and in the village of Weldon, police said. Dead and injured people were scattered across at least 13 crime scenes, RCMP Saskatchewan assistant commissioner Rhonda Blackmore said. About 1,000 people live in the indigenous community, and just under 200 people live in Weldon.

“It is horrific what has occurred in our province today,” Blackmore told AP, urging the suspects to turn themselves in.

Weldon is located about 30 miles southeast of Prince Albert and about 15 miles southwest of James Smith Cree Nation. The pair had been sighted about 200 miles south of there in Regina, the province’s capital, around lunchtime, and authorities urged the city to be on alert.

“If in the Regina area, take precautions and consider sheltering in place,” the RCMP said. “Do not leave a secure location. Use caution allowing others into your residence. DO NOT APPROACH suspicious persons. Do not pick up hitch hikers. Report suspicious persons, emergencies or info to 9-1-1. Do not disclose police locations.”

Damien Sanderson, 31, is 5-feet-7 and 155 pounds, and Myles Sanderson, 30, is 6-feet-1 and 200 pounds. They have black hair and brown eyes.

The attacks appeared to be random, police said, though authorities were still gathering information, and some of them may have been targeted, Blackmore said. The motive was unknown. So, too, was the relationship between the two, which Blackmore described as “presently unclear,” CBC News reported.

“There are multiple victims, multiple locations, including James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon,” the RCMP said. “Early indications may be that victims are attacked randomly. This is a rapidly unfolding situation. We urge the public to take appropriate precautions.”

The incident ranks among the deadliest mass killings in Canadian history, where such events are much less common than in the U.S. In 2020, a man disguised as a police officer shot people in their homes and set fires across Nova Scotia, killing 22 people. In 2019, a man fatally mowed down 10 pedestrians in Toronto. Pre-dating those, there was the notoriously misogynistic massacre of 14 female students at Montreal’s Ecole Polytechnique university in 1989.

Although officials had not identified any victims by late Sunday, names had begun trickling out.

One of them was Wes Petterson, a widely beloved 77-year-old widower described by Weldon neighbor Robert Rush as someone who “wouldn’t hurt a fly.” Petterson’s adult grandson had been in the basement when the attack occurred, and called police.

“He didn’t do anything. He didn’t deserve this. He was a good, kind-hearted man,” said Ruby Works, describing Petterson as like an uncle to her. “No one in this town is ever going to sleep again. They’re going to be terrified to open their door.”

The Saskatchewan Health Authority was treating multiple patients at several sites and had called in additional staff, authority spokeswoman Anne Linemann told AP.

Later on Sunday police widened the alert.

“As the suspects are at large, we have also asked for the alert to be extended to Manitoba and Alberta,” RCMP said in a news release Sunday afternoon.

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In addition, responding to the “mass casualties,” James Smith Cree Nation, the Chakastaypasin Band of the Cree Nation and the Peter Chapman Band at noon on Sunday declared a joint state of emergency through the end of the month. The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, which represents 74 First Nations in Saskatchewan, has set up two emergency operations centers.

The melee unfolded as fans flooded into Regina for a Labor Day game between the Canadian Football League’s Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers. The Regina Police Service (RPS) said it was assisting the RCMP and had “brought in additional investigative resources, working cooperatively, diligently and swiftly with the RCMP” and was “actively investigating on several fronts to locate and arrest the suspects. In addition, RPS has deployed additional resources for public safety throughout the city, including the football game at Mosaic Stadium.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed shock, horror and support for the communities involved.

“I am shocked and devastated by the horrific attacks today in James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, Saskatchewan, that claimed the lives of 10 people and injured many more,” he said in a statement. “As Canadians, we mourn with everyone affected by this tragic violence, and with the people of Saskatchewan. We also wish a full and quick recovery to those injured.”

He urged people to listen to the police and be on the lookout for the suspects, who authorities believed were still in Regina. He also pledged support for the indigenous communities affected.

“The Government of Canada has been in direct communication with the James Smith Cree Nation community leadership and we are ready to assist in any way we can,” Trudeau said. “Those responsible for today’s abhorrent attacks must be fully brought to justice. To James Smith Cree Nation and the people of Saskatchewan: You are in our thoughts. We are here to support you during this difficult time.”

With News Wire Services