Ottawa: According to police, a stabbing spree in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan left at least ten people dead and 15 injured on Sunday. Police also said a manhunt for two suspects had begun. Officers responding to emergency calls found ten dead in the nearby town of Weldon, Saskatchewan, and the rural Indigenous community of James Smith Cree Nation, according to Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore.
She claimed that at least 15 further people had been hurt and sent to hospitals. She continued, “We are actively hunting for the two suspects.” Myles and Damien Sanderson, brothers with dark hair and brown eyes aged 30 and 31, respectively, have been identified as the suspected attackers.
They escaped in a car. The 2,500-person James Smith Cree Nation issued a local state of emergency, and many Saskatchewan residents were advised to stay indoors. In a tweet, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the attacks as “horrific and sad,” expressed his condolences, and urged locals to follow police instructions.
According to Blackmore, the officials think that while some of the victims were randomly attacked, others were targeted by the perpetrators. She continued that it would be very challenging at this moment to discuss a motive. According to Weldon resident Diane Shier, a man who lived with his grandson was killed in the attack.
She told the Canadian Press I lost a wonderful neighbor, which saddens me. As police responded to numerous stabbings in various sites in the Indigenous community and Weldon, a dangerous person notice had been issued in Saskatchewan that morning.
Police at high alert
Blackmore claimed that after receiving a call at 5:40, am (11:40 GMT) regarding a stabbing at the James Smith Cree Nation, police rapidly received more calls reporting additional stabbings at 13 different sites. As “maximum” police resources were mobilized for the hunt for the suspects, she continued, a number of roadblocks have been set up on highways and roads throughout the region.
The notice and search were increased to encompass the adjacent provinces of Manitoba and Alberta, a vast area about half the size of Europe, when sightings of the two men were reported in Regina, the provincial capital, more than 300 kilometers (185 miles) to the south.
Police chief Evan Bray of Regina said that when sports fans flocked to the city for a sold-out Labour Day weekend game between the Winnipeg Blue Bombers and Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League, officials were on high alert and had deployed more cops.
In a statement to AFP, the Saskatchewan Health Authority said that emergency protocols had been implemented to handle a large number of critically ill patients. We can confirm that numerous individuals are receiving care and triage at various locations and that a request for extra staff to assist in responding to this issue has been made, it continued. In order to transfer stabbing victims and bring a doctor to the scene, three helicopters were sent from Saskatoon and Regina to the isolated northern villages.
Continue to read more latest news
223 total views, 1 views today