Sunday’s assaults, which spanned 13 different crime scenes in the James Smith Cree Nation and a nearby rural village, left 10 people dead and 18 others injured.
Three people remain in critical condition, the Saskatchewan Health Authority said in a statement Tuesday, while seven are stable. Seven others have been discharged, the authority said.
Police have not released information about the victims’ identities, but said they included men and women of various age groups, with the youngest in their 20s.
Shortly after the stabbings, authorities identified brothers Myles and Damien Sanderson as suspects.
Myles Sanderson remains at large after Damien Sanderson was found dead a day after the attacks with wounds not believed to be self-inflicted, police said, without providing further details.
Police have warned that Sanderson may be injured, but is still considered “armed and dangerous” and should not be approached. He is wanted on a warrant for three counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and breaking and entering a residence.
While police on Monday said they were operating under the impression Sanderson was in the city of Regina, which is more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of James Smith’s Cree Nation, they no longer believed he was still there fus, said Regina’s police chief. Evan Bray said Tuesday.
“We have received information today that is leading us to believe that he may no longer be in this community … although we do not know his whereabouts, we are continuing to search not only within Regina City Hall, but expanded across the province as well.” , Bray said.
Some of the victims were apparently attacked, according to police
It is still unclear what motivated the violence and how or if the brothers knew any of the victims.
Some were apparently targeted while others may have been attacked at random, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore said at a briefing Monday.
It is also unknown whether the brothers carried out the attacks at the same time, according to Blackmore.
The first stabbing was reported in the James Smith Cree Nation at 5:40 a.m. local time. Minutes later, they received several more calls about stabbings at other locations, police said.
The nation has a population of about 3,400 people with about 1,800 members living on the reservation, according to its website.
As of 9:45 a.m., authorities were reporting casualties at several locations, including one in the village of Weldon.
While police have not released the names of the dead, one was identified as Gloria Burns, a first responder, according to Reuters.
Burns was responding to a crisis call when she was caught up in the violence and killed, her brother Darryl Burns told Reuters, although the agency did not say whether the call was related to the stabbings.
“They killed her,” her 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 an avenue of investigation that we’re following, but we can’t say definitively at this point,” Blackmore said.
The suspect had an “extensive” criminal record and was released by the parole board
Myles Sanderson was described as approximately 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighing about 240 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Police released an updated photo of him on Tuesday.
Blackmore previously said Sanderson had warrants out for his arrest before the stabbings.
“Myles’ record goes back quite a number of years and includes crimes against property and persons,” Blackmore said, without elaborating on the alleged crimes.
“His actions have shown that he is violent and so we continue to emphasize that people remain vigilant,” Blackmore added.
The Parole Board of Canada granted Sanderson statutory release, according to a decision made on February 1, 2022.
Statutory release is a statutory release that allows an offender to serve part of their sentence in the community under direct supervision, according to the board. Under Canadian law, the Correctional Service of Canada must release most offenders with supervision after serving two-thirds of their sentence, if they have not yet been granted parole, except for those serving a chain perpetual
The board said in the ruling that it did not believe Sanderson would pose a risk to the public if released. The decision did note his lengthy criminal record and that he was assessed by a psychologist for a “moderate risk of violence.”
“Your criminal record is very troubling, including the use of violence and weapons related to your index crimes, and your history of domestic violence that victimized family, including your children and non-relatives,” the sentence states.
In a statement, the Parole Board said it “extends its thoughts to the victims, their families and all those who have been affected as a result of these senseless and horrific acts of violence.”
Citing the Privacy Act, the board said it could not discuss details of an offender’s case.