RCMP: One suspect in murder spree found dead, other still at large

One of the two suspects in the stabbing deaths of 10 people was found dead by the RCMP on Monday morning, but the other suspect — his brother — remains at large.

Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore, the commanding officer of the Saskatchewan RCMP, told reporters during a media conference that Damien Sanderson’s body had been found on the James Smith Cree Nation in a grassy area close to one of the 13 locations RCMP investigators are examining.

Blackmore said his identity has been confirmed, and he was found with visible injuries that were not believed to be self-inflicted. The cause of his death is still under investigation, Blackmore said.

While Damien Sanderson is now known to be dead, the other alleged perpetrator, Myles Sanderson, remains at large. He’s charged with three counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and one count of break and enter.

Blackmore suggested that Damien’s injuries could mean Myles also is injured and may be seeking medical attention.

Anyone who encounters Sanderson should not approach him and should immediately alert police, Blackmore stressed.

“Even if he is injured, it does not mean he is not still dangerous. Myles has a lengthy criminal record involving both persons and property crimes,” she said. “We consider him armed and dangerous.”

Sanderson is described as being 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds, with black hair and brown eyes.

He has been wanted in Saskatchewan since May, Blackmore confirmed, but she noted the warrant was not issued by the RCMP.

She said the number of people with warrants for their arrest in Saskatchewan means police need to prioritize their efforts based on risk. According to a Crime Stoppers bulletin in late May, Sanderson was wanted for being unlawfully at large.

Regina Police Service Chief Evan Bray told the media conference that police still believe Sanderson is in Regina, so the search for him continues. However, Blackmore noted police have informed the Canadian Border Services Agency in case Sanderson attempts to flee to the United States.

There now are 11 deaths attributed to the rampage on the James Smith Cree Nation and the nearby community of Weldon — and police still haven’t determined a motive for the attacks. In total, 18 people — not including Myles Sanderson — were injured.

Blackmore could not say whether any of the injured victims were in critical condition as of Monday afternoon.

As Sunday’s events unfolded, the Saskatchewan Health Authority issued a Code Orange to get medical facilities prepared for a high number of critically injured people. On Monday afternoon, the SHA said that alert was discontinued late Sunday.

“The situation continues to evolve and our teams continue to assess the needs of those in our care as a result of this situation,” the SHA release said. “As a result, there is limited information we can provide at this time.”

In a media release, the SHA said it admitted 17 people to hospitals within the province after the incident. Four were discharged, but 13 remained in hospital Monday; four of those were in critical condition, while nine were in stable condition.

Police were first alerted to the tragic stabbing spree early Sunday morning when calls reporting a stabbing on the First Nation came in to police.

The RCMP sent out the first emergency alert about the incident shortly after 7 a.m., with several more alerts issued during the day providing additional information on the situation and the suspects.

After police issued a description of a vehicle the suspects may have been using – a black Nissan Rogue with Saskatchewan licence plate 119 MPI – there was a sighting in Regina on Sunday that prompted police to ask residents to consider sheltering in place or taking safety precautions.

Bray said Monday that police in Regina are still confident that the sighting was genuine, although the vehicle hasn’t been found since that report.

“The information that we received yesterday about that vehicle being in the city with two people in the vehicle that matched the description is still relevant and believed to be true information. We’re quite confident in those facts. We’ve been doing investigations based on that and investigative work has corroborated some of those points,” Bray said.

“As far as the ongoing investigation goes, we are still operating under the impression that Myles is in the city of Regina.”

Asked about parents who may be concerned about sending their children to school in Regina on Tuesday, Bray said there isn’t an imminent risk, but emphasized that Sanderson is still at large.

“We have no information to lead us to believe that there is an imminent threat right now to anyone or any one person in this city, but we recognize we have not arrested this individual,” the police chief said.

“The information is old, albeit the most recent we have, that he was in this community. So I would encourage parents to exercise diligence and caution making judgment statements on those types of things.”

In an email to parents Monday, the Regina Catholic School Division said it would take direction from police and from the Ministry of Education to determine what steps to take Tuesday.

“At this point, we have been advised to proceed as usual for a typical school day,” the email said. “Should Regina Police and RCMP ask us to adjust any plans, we will.”

In a previous statement, Blackmore said some of the attacks appeared random, while some victims may have been specifically targeted.

“We believe there were victims who were targeted by these individuals,” she said. “At the very least, they were known to these individuals, which would indicate they were targeted.

“Other individuals, it appears at this point in time, were random victims. That’s part of the actions that our investigators are taking to confirm that information and follow up with those connections.”

Blackmore couldn’t say if Damien was among those who were targeted.

Nine of the initial deaths occurred on the James Smith Cree Nation, the RCMP said, and one occurred in Weldon.

Both police leaders emphasized the massive efforts to locate and arrest Myles Sanderson.

“We need to start the healing process, and until we can make this arrest, that isn’t going to happen,” Bray said.