Authorities have been searching since Sunday in the central-western part of the country for Miles Sanderson, 32, who is suspected of carrying out, together with his brother Damien, one of the deadliest attacks in recent years in the country.
Miles Sanderson, the second suspect in a series of knife attacks that killed 10 people and injured 18 others in central Canada, was arrested Wednesday, police said, ending a three-day manhunt.
“Miles Sanderson was located and taken into custody near Rostern, Saskatchewan at approximately 3:30 p.m.” (local time; 00:30 GMT), provincial police said via Facebook.
“There is no longer a risk to public safety” in this case, she added, and thanked residents who gave her information that led to the arrest of the suspect.
Law enforcement forces have been searching since Sunday in the central-western part of the country for Miles Sanderson, 32, who is suspected of carrying out, together with his brother Damien, one of the deadliest attacks in recent years in the country.
Known to the police and the judiciary for his involvement in violent incidents and thefts, Miles Sanderson was already wanted since May, because he had failed to comply with the terms of his release from justice.
On Monday, the body of his brother Damien Sanderson, who was allegedly his accomplice, was found. He suffered multiple stab wounds and was located near the scene of the crimes. The circumstances under which he met his death remain to be determined, but he may have been murdered by his brother, according to the police.
“As we do not know where he is, we are asking the public to take the necessary precautions,” repeated the police, who had expanded the search to the entire province of Saskatchewan, a vast rural area.
“Nightmare”
Yesterday, Wednesday, the authorities released the names of all the victims. Nine out of ten were from the community of James Smith Cree Nason, the tenth from the neighboring village of Weldon.
These are men and women from 23 to 78 years old. The injured are a “teenager” and seventeen adults, according to federal police.
Before police announced the arrest of the suspect, for the first time since Sunday, some families spoke publicly to describe the “nightmare” they are living.
“This is a difficult time for our families,” Marc Arcand told the press, referring to “horrific and senseless actions.” His sister, Bonnie Burns, 48, and nephew, Gregory Burns, 28, were among the victims.
“Bonnie always put others before herself,” she recounted, her voice cracking. “He did everything he could to meet the needs of the family. Her home was full of love and affection.”
Mr. Arcand wondered why the attacks took place. “How did this happen; Why did this happen; We don’t really know what happened. We have no answers.”
By this stage, relatives had chosen to express themselves almost exclusively through social networking sites, asking the media not to harass the community of 3,400 residents.
“I lost a lot of my family, there were bodies all over the ground, some dead and some with serious stab wounds and bleeding,” Mike Brett Burns described via Facebook.
“It was like a war zone. In their eyes, you could see the pain and suffering of those who were attacked.”
Dillon Burns recounted how his mother, Gloria, died “protecting a young man as he was being attacked”, adding that he “would do the same for any of us (…) even the one who took her life”.
Unemployment and poverty
According to police, some of the victims were targeted by the two brothers, but others were attacked at random.
In Canada, Aboriginal people make up about 5% of the 38 million inhabitants. They often live in communities plagued by unemployment and poverty. They more often become victims of homicide.
Ten patients remain hospitalized and three are in critical condition, according to health authorities.
In recent years, Canada has experienced a string of attacks of rare violence for this country.
In April 2020, a gunman disguised as a police officer murdered 22 people in Nova Scotia. In January 2017, six people were killed and five others were injured in attacks near a Quebec mosque.
RES-EMP
Read the News today and get the latest news.
Follow Skai.gr on Google News and be the first to know all the news.
I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
