WELDON, Saskatchewan – The horror began at 5:40 a.m. Sunday, when police received word of a stabbing at a rural Indigenous reserve in the western Canadian province of Saskatchewan. When the riots ended, hours later, police said that 10 people had died and 18 were injured – some apparently chosen at random – in a killing that rocked the country.
One of the two suspects in the mass murder, Damien Sanderson, was found dead Monday in a grassy area near a home being investigated as part of investigations, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said. attack on the Cree Nation reserve. They said his injuries did not appear to be self-inflicted.
Police say a manhunt is still underway for Myles Sanderson’s brother, who may have also been injured and may seek medical attention. They say that Myles Sanderson has had a long criminal record, and the public should be wary.
Police say they are investigating how Damien Sanderson died, including whether his brother killed him.
While details about the men and their motives remain hazy, a Saskatchewan Crime Stopper notice shows that Myles Sanderson was wanted by police before Sunday’s attacks.
In a country that prides itself on its civility, the knife attack at the James Smith Cree Nation and a nearby village called Weldon is one of the worst mass murders in recent memory. , and they are known throughout Canada.
Ivor Wayne Burns, who lived on the reserve and said his 61-year-old sister, Gloria Lydia Burns, was among those killed.
In Weldon, a peaceful farming village near the 27-square-mile Cree Nation reserve, some residents said they took refuge in their homes after learning of the attack and first locked their doors on Sunday night. Japan.
The atmospheric Canadian prairie region is known for its rolling landscapes and agriculture. But on Monday, the residents of Saskatchewan, with 1.2 million people, woke up to find their province in the global spotlight. And with both suspects still negligent at the time, the province was arrested.
Ruby Works, a resident of Weldon, said: “I was terrified when I went to bed last night, saying a close friend, an elderly man who loves birds, was killed in the attack. Ms Works, 42, said she was out looking for her cat on Sunday when a police officer warned her to go inside.
In Weldon, a community of 160 dominated by two towering elevators, residents said anxiety, grief and fear had spread after the attack. About half of the population in the town of less than a square mile is over 60 years old.
Residents say the town, filled with dirt roads and wooden houses, is a place where everyone knows each other.
“Last night, I locked the door for the first time, but that was only because my 12-year-old asked me to,” said one resident, April Audette, of her daughter.
Mr Burns, who said he was linked to the suspects, said, “There’s chaos right now, there’s total chaos.”
His sister, who worked for a community crisis response team, was found lying in the driveway with two other victims, he said.
Another brother, Darryl Burns, who also lives on the reserve, said Gloria Lydia Burns raised her four grandsons after their mother passed away.
“That’s her type of person,” he said. “To put her in a situation like this, where she’s helping people, even though it costs her life – that’s who she is. She will do anything to help anyone. “
The attack resonated particularly among Indigenous communities in a country grappling with systemic violence and discrimination against Indigenous peoples.
This issue has received high levels of attention and has become a national news source in recent years, in part due to unfortunate new discoveries like last year’s. Children’s graves at an old residential school in British Columbia. For decades, Indigenous children were forced to attend church-run schools, where they were victims of horrific physical and sexual abuse. Many people died at the schools.
Across the country, when most Canadians are off Monday for Labor Day, news broadcasts are dominated by headlines about murders. “Mass Murder in Saskatchewan” said a red banner on a television news report from CBC, the national broadcaster. Many people have asked: How can this happen here – and why?
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Canada, in a brief speech Monday afternoon, said he was “shocked and devastated by the horrific attacks”. He said the flags on Ottawa’s Peace Tower and at all federal buildings in Saskatchewan were at half-mast.
“Sadly, over the years, tragedies like this have become all too common,” Trudeau said. “The Saskatchewani and Canadians will do what we always do in times of difficulty and suffering. We will be there for each other, there for our neighbors, leaning on each other, helping with grief and helping with healing. “
Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations in Saskatchewan has called on authorities to “create safer and healthier communities for our people”.
“Our hearts are broken for all that is affected,” he said.
As dozens of police officers patrolled communities and explored 13 crime scenes for evidence, Canadian authorities advised residents of the James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon to shelter at home. They extended the search nearly 200 miles south to Regina, the provincial capital of Saskatchewan, where thousands gathered on Sunday to watch a Labor Day football game.
Before announcing that Damien Sanderson was dead, police had warned that the likely attackers were hiding in Regina.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police also said in a statement that the two men have been charged with first-degree murder and breaking and entering.
A total of 28 people were stabbed. Some of the victims were airlifted to Imperial College Hospital, the province’s main trauma center, in Saskatoon.
Indigenous communities in Saskatchewan have deep and proud roots in the region, stretching back thousands of years. The area has historically been an important area for bison hunting, according to the City of Regina. The James Smith Cree Nation has 3,412 members, with nearly 2,000 living on the reserve, according to its website; There are a total of about 175,000 indigenous residents in the province.
In Weldon, residents were content with each other as two officers dressed in white forensic suits walked past the home of the elderly victim Ms. Works said she knew. Residents said he was a well-known face in the small community who campaigned to stop trees in the area from being cut down.
“This man didn’t deserve to die like this,” Ms. Works said, recalling how she would help him shop and lift heavy bags of cats out of his car. “He is a kind person. He will take his shirt off his back and give it to you.”
With helicopters overhead and police searching the town, Ms Works’ aunt Sharon Works, 64, said she and her son had received calls from friends and neighbors who knew a number. victim.
In Regina, some residents ignored warnings to go to shelters and stuck with their social plans.
Along Arcola Avenue, crowds attended an annual Labor Day classic car show, a fundraising event for a local food bank.
Ian Austen and Amber Bracken reported from Weldon, Saskatchewan and Dan Bilefsky from Montreal. Report contributed by Vjosa Isai from Toronto and Austin Ramzy from Hong Kong.
