On Sunday, 10 people were killed and 18 injured in the attacks, which spanned 13 different crime scenes on the James Smith Cree Nation and a nearby rural village.
Although the police did not reveal the identity of the victims, they said that among them were men and women of different age groups, and the youngest was in his 20s.
Shortly after the stabbings, authorities identified brothers Myles and Damien Sanderson as suspects.
Police have warned that Sanderson may be injured, but that he is still considered “armed and dangerous” and should not be approached. He is wanted on three counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of residential burglary.
Police on Monday said they were acting on the impression Sanderson was in Regina, more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of the James Smith Cree Nation, but they did not believe he was still there, Regina Police Chief Evan Bray said Tuesday.
“Today we received information that leads us to believe that he may no longer be in this community … although we don’t know where he is, we’re still expanding not only in the city of Regina, but the province as well,” Bray said.
Police say some of the victims were targeted
It remains unclear what led to the violence and how or if the brothers knew any of the victims.
Rhonda Blackmore, assistant commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said at a briefing Monday that some were targeted while others were attacked randomly.
According to Blackmore, it is not known whether the brothers’ attacks were carried out at the same time.
The first stabbing was reported at 5:40 a.m. local time on the James Smith Cree Nation. Minutes later, several more calls came in about stabbings at other locations, police said.
According to its website, the nation has a population of about 3,400 and about 1,800 members live on the reservation.
At 9:45 a.m., authorities reported casualties at multiple locations, including the village of Weldon.
Reuters reports that police have not released the names of those killed, but one has been identified as Gloria Burns.
His brother, Darryl Burns, told Reuters that Burns was responding to a crisis call when he was struck and killed, although the agency did not say whether the stabbings were related.
“He was killed,” his brother Ivor Burns told Reuters.
The discovery of Damien Sanderson’s body a day after the attacks also raised questions about his brother’s involvement in his death. But police said Monday it was unclear whether Myles Sanderson was involved.
“It’s a line of inquiry that we’re pursuing, but we can’t say definitively at this point,” Blackmore said.
The suspect had a “lengthy” criminal history and was on parole
Myles Sanderson is described as approximately 6 feet 1 inch tall and approximately 240 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Police released an updated photo of him on Tuesday.
Blackmore previously said there were warrants out for Sanderson’s arrest before the stabbing.
“Myles’ record goes back quite a few years and includes both property and personal crimes,” Blackmore said, without elaborating on the alleged crimes.
“His actions showed that he was violent, and that’s why we continue to stress that people should be vigilant,” Blackmore said.
On February 1, 2022, Sanderson was legally released by the Parole Board of Canada.
According to the Board, statutory release is statutory presumptive release that allows an offender to serve a portion of their sentence under direct supervision in the community. Under Canadian law, the Correctional Service of Canada must release most non-parole offenders under supervision after serving two-thirds of their sentence, except for those serving life sentences.
The board said in the decision that Sanderson does not believe he poses a risk to the public if released. The decision noted his long criminal history and that he was assessed by a psychologist as a “moderate risk of violence”.
“Your criminal history is very troubling, including the violence and use of weapons related to your crimes and your history of domestic violence that victimized your family, including your children and those outside your family.”
In a statement, the immunity council said it “passes its thoughts to the victims, their families and all those affected by these senseless and horrific acts of violence.”
Citing the Privacy Act, the council said it could not discuss the specifics of the offender’s case.
