At least 10 people have been killed and 15 others injured in multiple stab attacks in Canada’s central Saskatchewan province.
The victims were found at 13 locations on the James Smith Cree Nation and the nearby town of Weldon, local police said.
The suspects were identified as Damien Sanderson (left) and Myles Sanderson.
Two suspects named Damien Sanderson, 31, and Myles Sanderson, 30, are at large and authorities say they are armed and dangerous. Residents in the area were asked to seek shelter as a province-wide manhunt continues.
The attacks in Saskatchewan today are horrific and heartbreaking. I’m thinking of those who have lost a loved one and of those who were injured.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) September 4, 2022
“Do not leave a safe place. Be careful allowing others to enter your residence,” the Saskatchewan Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) tweeted.
Authorities declared a state of emergency on the James Smith Cree Nation, an indigenous community of about 2,000 residents northeast of Weldon where about 200 people live. A dangerous person alert was also sent to all mobile phones in the provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta, a vast region nearly half the size of Europe.
“Horrifying and heartbreaking”
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the attack as “horrible and heartbreaking”.
“I am shocked and devastated by today’s horrific attacks,” he said in a statement. “Those responsible for today’s heinous attacks must be brought to justice.”
“My thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones and those who have been injured,” he tweeted.
At a news conference on Sunday night, police estimated that there could be more injuries. Rhonda Blackmore, commanding officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP, reported that some people may have been targeted by the two suspects in a premeditated manner, while others are believed to have been “randomly targeted.”