Teams in Saskatchewan surrounded a home on the Cree Nation of James Smith on Tuesday after reporting sightings of a suspected mass killer, but left soon after with no sign of the man.
Emergency alerts sounded again. A helicopter and drones flew overhead. A tactical armored vehicle arrived at the scene, passing a checkpoint where journalists were being kept. Soon after, police vehicles left the scene and Myles Sanderson remained at large more than 48 hours after the stabbings.
“We didn’t hesitate,” Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore, commanding officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP, said of the search, which avoided the usual police practice of verifying information.
“We felt that the risk to people if it was actually there outweighs the benefit of having that information (held) closely to be more reliable.”
Residents of a community already mourning the loss of so many were left on the sidelines as another suspect lead appeared to go cold.
“People are going to have that sense of nervousness until Myles Sanderson is located and taken into custody, and understandably so,” Blackmore said.
“A lot of these people … have seen things, and possibly been attacked themselves. Things that no individual should have to see or deal with.”
Sanderson, 32, is one of those accused in the stabbings over the weekend at various locations on the James Smith Cree Nation and the nearby village of Weldon, in which 10 men and women were killed and 18 injured.
Regina Police Chief Evan Bray said Monday afternoon that based on the new information, his service no longer believes Sanderson may be in his community. Police had reported a possible sighting in the city over the weekend of a vehicle that Sanderson and his brother had been driving.
Blackmore encourages the public to report anything that seems out of place, as police are following up on all tips.
“As the hours and days go by here, I don’t want people to get complacent … because we haven’t seen a casualty since … Sunday,” Blackmore said. “We certainly don’t want people to believe there is no danger.”
RCMP have said Sanderson’s brother, Damien Sanderson, who had also been a suspect in the murders, was found dead Monday in a grassy area not far from one of the crime scenes. Police have said they do not believe he committed suicide and are investigating whether Myles Sanderson was involved in his brother’s death.
More victims were identified on Tuesday.
The First Nations Veterans Association of Saskatchewan confirmed the death of Earl Burns in a Facebook message, saying he was a veteran of the Princess Patricia’s Light Infantry.
His sister confirmed his death in a statement to the news website paNow in Prince Albert. Deborah McLean told the outlet that her brother died protecting her family and that his wife is in intensive care.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority said 10 of the injured victims remained in hospital Tuesday, including three in critical condition.
The search across the grasslands has left other communities worried.
The Piapot First Nation, 45 kilometers northeast of Regina, urged residents to be alert.
“Do not let strangers into your home or answer the door of anyone you do not know. Please keep all windows and doors closed,” community leaders wrote in a safety notice posted online Tuesday .
Leaders of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations issued an appeal to find Myles Sanderson, asking those who know of his whereabouts to come forward to help end the manhunt without further loss of life.
A former Mountie said the wide open spaces of the Prairies could complicate any manhunt.
“This is a huge area and there’s not a lot of anything,” said retired RCMP officer Sherry Benson-Podolchuk. “There are plenty of places for people to hide.”
Benson-Podolchuk noted that police are monitoring roads leading into and out of adjacent provinces.
“Suspects are not going to go on (main) roads. If they can take a back road or a gravel road or a dirt road somewhere, they will,” Benson-Podolchuk said.
Parole documents show Myles Sanderson has a criminal record spanning nearly two decades, which included convictions for assault, battery with a weapon, battery on a peace officer and robbery. The parole board said he had a propensity for violence when intoxicated.
“Your criminal record is very troubling, including the use of violence and weapons related to your index crimes and your history of domestic violence,” said the document obtained by The Canadian Press.
Sanderson was granted statutory release from prison in August 2021, but it was revoked about four months later because the board said he failed to communicate with his parole supervisor.
In the document, the board said it decided to restore his freedom with a warning and said Sanderson “will not pose an undue risk to society.”
In May, a Crime Stoppers bulletin was issued for Sanderson, warning that he was unlawfully at large.
Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino told reporters in Vancouver on Monday that he has already been engaged with the parole board and has been told its decision on Sanderson would be investigated.
Damien Sanderson had been facing an assault charge since June, court documents obtained by The Canadian Press on Tuesday showed.
La Muntanya has not said what motivated the attacks. Police believe some victims were targeted, but others were chosen at random.
People in the region have rallied around the victims and affected communities.
An online fundraising effort has begun for the victims and their families on the James Smith Cree Nation. It had raised more than $104,000 as of Tuesday afternoon.
A community garden organization near Prince Albert posted on social media that it was sending produce to the First Nation for old ladies and other gatherings in the coming days.
“We will be cleaning carrots, cucumbers and potatoes to send out for the evenings. If you can help pick, peel or cut, we need a few extra hands please,” read the post on Jessy’s Garden’s Facebook page.
In nearby Melfort, Sask., on Monday night, the Mustangs Junior A hockey team held a moment of silence for the victims before their preseason game against the Nipawin Hawks.
Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe and First Nations leaders held a moment of silence Tuesday at the opening of a hockey complex in the Big River First Nation, about 180 kilometers from the stabbings took place.
“Those of you who have friends and family in the community of James Smith or Weldon, or who are affected in some way, know that the whole heart of this province is with you and your family this weekend and the weeks and months ahead,” Moe said. .
This report by The Canadian Press was first published on September 6, 2022.