Suspect who allegedly killed 10 in Saskatchewan stabbings dies after arrest

The man had been on the run since Sunday.

September 7, 2022, 10:40 PM

The second suspect accused of several stabbings in Saskatchewan has died after being arrested Wednesday following a three-day manhunt, officials said.

Canadian authorities located and took Myles Sanderson into custody, the Saskatchewan RCMP said. Shortly after his arrest, he went into medical distress and was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead, the RCMP said Wednesday night.

Brothers Myles Sanderson, 30, and Damien Sanderson, 31, are suspected of carrying out the stabbing spree that killed 10 people and injured 19 in the Indigenous communities of James Smith Cree Nation and the town of Weldon, in Saskatchewan, on Sunday, authorities said.

Damien Sanderson was found dead on Monday in a field near the stabbing sites with "visible injuries."

Police in Saskatoon confirmed to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that they had been searching for Myles Sanderson since May, when he violated parole by failing to meet with his parole officer. He was classified as "unlawfully at large," Saskatoon police told CBC.

Myles Sanderson was placed on parole after serving a nearly five-year federal sentence for assault, robbery, mischief and uttering threats, according to CBC.

Authorities launched a multi-day manhunt for the Sandersons on Sunday.

The Melfort RCMP canceled its Dangerous Persons Alert upon Myles Sanderson's arrest, saying the public is no longer at risk.

PHOTO: Photos provided by RCMP shows stabbing victims, from top left, Bonnie Burns, Carol Burns, Christian Head, Lydia Gloria Burns, and Lana Head. From bottom left, Wesley Petterson, Thomas Burns, Gregory Burns, Robert Sanderson, and Earl Burns.
This combination of photos provided by Royal Canadian Mounted Police shows stabbing victims, from top left, Bonnie Burns, Carol Burns, Christian Head, Lydia Gloria Burns, and Lana Head. From bottom left, Wesley Petterson, Thomas Burns, Gregory Burns, Robert Sanderson, and Earl Burns.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police via AP

Investigators believe some of the victims were "targeted" while others were "attacked randomly," RCMP Commanding Officer Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore said earlier this week.

Authorities are investigating the motive for the attacks.

The Saskatchewan RCMP got its first 911 call about a stabbing on the James Smith Cree Nation, about 20 miles from Weldon, around 5:40 a.m. local time on Sunday. Within minutes, police received several more calls from multiple locations. In total, victims were found at 13 different locations across the sparsely populated reserve and in the town, according to Blackmore.

Officials released the identities of the victims killed in the string of stabbings on Wednesday.

ABC News' Melissa Gaffney, Teddy Grant, Julia Jacobo and Morgan Winsor contributed to this report.

Related Topics