Ten people were killed and others injured Sunday in stabbing attacks in two remote regions of Canada, police said, as they launched a manhunt in three provinces for two suspects.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described Sunday’s mass stabbing as “horrific and heartbreaking”.
“The attacks in Saskatchewan today are horrific and heartbreaking,” he wrote on Twitter. “Thinking about those who have lost loved ones and those who have been injured.”
“We have identified 10 deaths at 13 locations in the James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon areas of Saskatchewan,” Rhonda Blackmore, assistant commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, told a news conference.
She added that “a number of other victims were wounded, including 15 who have so far been taken to different hospitals,” explaining that the police are looking for “suspects” and are investigating “crime scenes.”
The police issued an alert to residents of each province of Saskatchewan about the presence of a dangerous person.
Blackmore said police received an initial call at 5:40 local time about a knife attack at the James Smith Cree Nation, which has been followed by other attacks.
She added that the authorities believed that “some of the victims were targeted by the two suspects, while the rest were attacked indiscriminately.”
The suspects were initially reported in Regina, the capital of Saskatchewan, more than 300 km to the south.
And then the warning and searches extended to also include the vast neighboring provinces of Manitoba and Alberta.
The Saskatchewan Health Authority told AFP it had activated emergency protocols to deal with “a large number of critically ill patients”.
The suspects were identified as Damian Sanderson and Miles Sanderson, aged 30 and 31. It is suspected that they fled in a black Nissan car. The police deployed “as much as possible” to arrest them.
The James Smith Cree Nation, home to 2,500 residents, declared a local state of emergency. Saskatchewan residents have also been asked to stay indoors to ensure their safety.
Weldon resident Diane Sher told the Canadian Press that her neighbor, who was living with his grandson, was killed. “I am very touched because I lost a good neighbour,” she added.
#Deaths #stabbing #incidents #Canada #Trudeau #comments