the last suspect arrested for stabbing ten people died after being arrested

First modification: 09/08/2022 – 03:10

The second and final suspect in the attacks that left 10 dead and 18 wounded last Sunday in an indigenous community in central Canada, was arrested on Wednesday, police said, ending more than four days of searching.

“Myles Sanderson has been located and taken into custody,” the Saskatchewan Provincial Police had announced on their Facebook account. But according to Canadian media reports, the suspect would have committed suicide shortly after his arrest.

On Monday, the body of his brother, Damien Sanderson, suspected of being his accomplice, was found with multiple stab wounds near the scene of the attacks. The circumstances of his death remain unclear, but according to the police, he may have been killed by his brother.

Hours before announcing the arrest of Myles Sanderson, authorities revealed the identities of the victims. Nine of the ten were from the Cree Nation community living on the James Smith Reservation in the heart of the vast Canadian territory, while the other victim was from the nearby town of Weldon.

The deceased were between 23 and 78 years old. Among the injured, ten remain hospitalized with three of them in critical condition, according to health authorities.

“Horrible and senseless acts”

Until now, relatives have expressed themselves almost exclusively on social media, asking the media to stay away from their community.

But before the arrest of the suspect was announced, some families spoke publicly for the first time about their “nightmare”.

“This is a difficult time for our families,” Mark Arcand told reporters, referring to “senseless and horrible acts.” His sister Bonnie Burns, 48, and his nephew Gregory Burns, 28, were among the victims.

“Bonnie always put others before herself,” she said, her voice cracking with emotion. “She did everything she could to provide for her family. Her home was full of love and care.”

Arcand also questioned the timing of the attacks. “How did it happen? Why did it happen? We don’t really know what happened. We don’t have any answers.”

In Canada, indigenous people make up around 5% of the 38 million population, living in communities often plagued by unemployment and poverty.

In recent years, the country went through a series of violent events for the country. In April 2020, a man posing as a police officer killed 22 people in Nova Scotia and in January 2017, six people were killed and five injured in attacks on a mosque in Quebec City.

AFP