Stabbings in Canada leave 10 dead, a dozen injured
At least 10 people have been killed and another 15 injured in a stabbing rampage in Canada’s central Saskatchewan province, police say.
The victims were found in 13 different locations, including in the James Smith Cree Nation and nearby Weldon.
Two suspects named as Damien Sanderson, 31, and Myles Sanderson, 30, are on the run and considered armed and dangerous.
Residents have been told to shelter in place, as a massive manhunt continues across the entire vast province.
“Do not leave a secure location. Use caution allowing others into your residence,” Saskatchewan Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) tweeted.
Checkpoints have been set up, with police checking travellers’ identification, and drivers have been urged not to pick up hitchhikers.
A state of emergency has been declared in the James Smith Cree Nation – an indigenous community with about 2,000 residents north-east of Weldon, where about 200 people live.
And a dangerous person alert was sent to all mobile phones across the provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta – a huge region almost half the size of Europe.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the attack as “horrific and heartbreaking”.
“I’m thinking of those who have lost a loved one and of those who were injured,” he tweeted.
At a news briefing on Sunday evening, police said there could be more injured people who had taken themselves to hospital, urging them to contact authorities.
Rhonda Blackmore, Commanding Officer for Saskatchewan RCMP said that some people may have been targeted by the two suspects, while others are believed to have been “attacked randomly”.
The first emergency call was made to police at 05:40 local time on Sunday (11:40 GMT) in the provincial capital Regina, about 280km (173 miles) south of Weldon, she explained.
This was quickly followed by many more calls for help, developing into a “rapidly unfolding event”.
The suspects were last seen by members of the public in Regina at about lunchtime on Sunday.
“The suspects may be in a black Nissan Rogue [vehicle],” Ms Blackmore said, warning anyone who sees the men to stay away.
“They are considered armed and dangerous… If you see the suspects or their vehicle, do not approach them, immediately leave the area and call 911.”
She said the suspects’ “location and direction of travel is unknown”, adding: “This is why we need everyone in the province to stay vigilant.”
And she stressed that the police were “dedicating a maximum number of resources to this investigation”.
(BBC)
