By David Stobbe
WELDON, Saskatchewan (Reuters) – Two men suspected of killing 10 people in a stabbing rampage that devastated an indigenous community in Canada were still at large on Monday as police tried to determine a motive for attacks that shocked a nation where mass violence is rare.
Police launched a manhunt for Damien Sanderson, 31, and Myles Sanderson, 30, after they allegedly stabbed people in 13 different areas across an indigenous community and its surrounding province on Sunday. At least 15 others were wounded.
The attacks in Saskatchewan province were among the deadliest in Canada’s modern history. A statement by indigenous leaders indicated they may have been drug-related. Police said some of the victims appeared to have been targeted, while others were apparently random. (See graphic: https://tmsnrt.rs/3cKaBP0)
Police have provided photos of the two men, who they say are armed and dangerous. They were traveling in a black Nissan Rogue and spotted in the city of Regina, about 320 km (200 miles) south of the attacks in the James Smith Cree Nation and the village of Weldon, police said.
The suspects were likely in Regina, the city’s police chief, Evan Bray, said in a Twitter video late on Sunday. But authorities have warned it was not clear where they might be headed or if they had changed vehicles.
Indigenous people account for less than 5% of Canada’s population of about 38 million and suffer from higher levels of poverty and unemployment than other Canadians and also have a shorter life expectancy.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said his government had been in direct communication with the James Smith Cree Nation leadership, adding, “we are ready to assist in any way we can.”
James Smith Cree Nation is an indigenous community with a population of about 3,400 people largely engaged in farming, hunting and fishing. Weldon is a village of some 200 people.
The nation’s elected elders declared a state of emergency. Police bulletins urged people to report any suspicious persons and to take precautions including sheltering in place, while warning against picking up hitchhikers or approaching suspicious people.
“Do not leave a secure location. Use caution allowing others into your residence,” one advisory said.
(Reporting by David Stobbe in Weldon, Saskatchewan, and Ismail Shakil in Ottawa; Writing by Rami Ayyub; Editing by Matthew Lewis)
