One of the two brothers subjected to a huge persecution in Canada after allegedly carrying out a stabbing spree that left 10 dead and 18 wounded, was found deadpolice reported Monday.
The massacre perpetrated on Sunday in the indigenous community of James Smith Cree Nation and in the neighboring city of Weldon, in the central west of the country, it is counted among the largest acts of mass violence in Canadian history.
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Rhonda Blackmore, assistant commissioner of the Police, said in a press conference that the body of Damian Sanderson “He was found in a vacant lot near a house that was checked” by the authorities and with “visible injuries.”
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“We can’t say for sure how Damien died,” Blackmore warned, adding that “potentially could” have been killed by his brother Myles Sanderson.
Canadian police had swept through Saskatchewan and neighboring provinces on Monday in a relentless pursuit of the two brothers.
Myles Sanderson is still at large and “You may also have injuries, but it is not confirmed,” added Blackmore, who urged the population to remain vigilant, the fugitive, who should be considered armed and dangerous, could be seeking medical attention.
Ordering the lowering of the Parliament flag in memory of the victims, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the attacks were “shocking and heartbreaking”.
“This type of violence has no place in our country,” he added. “Sadly, in recent years, tragedies like these have become all too frequent.”
Canada is experiencing a succession of attacks of unusual violence. In recent years, a gunman disguised as a police officer has killed 22 people in Nova Scotia; Six people were killed in a shooting at a mosque in quebec; and a man driving a pickup truck through crowded sidewalks in Toronto killed 10 people.
“This is terrible”
Damien Sanderson and Myles Sanderson, 30 and 31 respectively, already had warrants out for their arrest on charges of murder and attempted murder.
Both were first seen in Regina, the provincial capital, some 300 km to the south. The alert and search were later extended to the neighboring provinces of Manitoba and Albertaa vast region the size of which is equal to half the European continent.
Blackmore said police received a first call at 5:40 a.m. Sunday about a stabbing at the James Smith Cree Nation, but calls quickly followed reporting other similar attacks.
Police found 10 bodies in that remote Indian community and in the neighboring town of Weldon, he added.
Weldon resident Diane Shier told the Saskatoon Star phoenix that one of his neighbors, a man who lived with his adult grandson, was killed in the attack. The grandson reportedly hid in the basement and called the police.
“It was around 07:30. My husband was in the garden. He saw police cars and an ambulance coming into town. It’s a small town. This is terrible, terrible. We still have the doors closed, we stay inside, we don’t want to go out,” he told the newspaper.
another neighbor, Ruby Worksestimated that “no one in this city will sleep peacefully again. They will be terrified to open the door.”
Targeted victims
Authorities believe “some of the victims were targeted by suspects and others were randomly targeted,” according to Blackmore, who said it was too early to determine the motive.
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The head of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, Bobby Cameronlamented “the unspeakable violence that claimed the lives of innocent people”.
the community of James Smith Cree Nation, population 2,500declared a local state of emergency. Saskatchewan residents were also asked to stay indoors for safety.
Meanwhile, the Red Cross he told AFP that he was helping to provide support to the families of the victims and the affected communities.
International leaders, including German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and European Council President Charles Michel, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid, sent messages of condolences, calling the attack “horrible.” “, “brutal” and “meaningless”.