‘He fought til the death’: Families of stabbing victims seek answers and support

Words don’t come easy right now for Deborah McLean.

“I’m in shock,” she said. “I’m in shock right now.”

As a headwoman for the James Smith Cree Nation, she is assisting to the needs of her family and friends in the aftermath of tragedy — all while reeling from her own loss.

“I lost my brother Earl Burns,” she told paNOW. “And his wife is in ICU at this time, so we are here in Prince Albert taking care of the children and the families and supporting her and hoping she pulls through.”

Burns was a veteran of Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry. McLean said he was killed while protecting his wife and grandchildren from the attackers who left a trail of devastation in 13 crime scenes across James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan’s northeast and into the community of Weldon 30 kilometres away.

In a message to paNOW, McLean wrote, “My brother Earl Burns was a true hero. He fought til the death to protect his family. He was enjoying his role as an Elder, husband, father to three, Moosom and Chapan to many. He is also a son to his 92-year-old dad Mervin Burns, mother deceased 2007, many uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, 4 sisters and 4 brothers.

“Earl drove bus for many years for BCCS. He was a proud veteran for the Canadian army, and attended almost every powwow in the Indian territories. He was loyal, a good provider and a very proud Moosom. At this time, we ask the media to give our community time to deal with the shock and trauma of the life changing and devastating tragedies, which is affecting everyone in our community.”

A total of 11 people, including one of the suspects died; 18 others were wounded and police think the remaining suspect, Myles Sanderson, may also have suffered injuries.

The Saskatchewan Health Authority said as of Monday, 13 patients were still in hospital, with four in critical condition. They are located in hospitals across the province. McLean is in Prince Albert not only to support her injured sister-in-law, but also to co-ordinate resources and help for the families of the victims from the First Nation.

“We have a lot of families in the cities right now. You know, right now, support is coming in pretty strong but eventually it will diminish,” McLean said.

“We’ve been through emergency situations before with flooding and fires and help is only temporary. Eventually, down the road, people want more support and some families have bigger needs than others. So I’m thinking of the future and making sure the donations go to the band office for the emergency.”

While they are accepting any type of donation, McLean said gift cards for meals or gas would be particularly useful for those currently at hotels in the city. Anyone interested in donating can contact McLean through her email at divymclean@gmail.com.

Support for the victims and their families is coming in from all levels including the federal and provincial government who have published information on helplines and other resources, but it’s the grassroots fundraisers that are gaining traction through social media.

One post on Facebook shared nearly 800 times asked for donations of Kleenex, coffee, sandwich meat, paper plates and other supplies community members can use during the upcoming wakes and funerals for the victims.

Rob Clarke, a former RCMP officer and former Member of Parliament, started a GoFundMe page citing costs for funerals, hospital stays and counselling among other reasons. By Tuesday morning, it had already raised nearly $90,000.