Myles Sanderson: Suspect still at large as Canadian police expand search after mass stabbing in Saskatchewan

Three people remain in critical condition, the Saskatchewan Health Authority said in a statement. statement Tuesday, while seven are stable. Seven others were released, the authority said.

Police have warned Sanderson could be injured, but he is still considered “armed and dangerous” and should not be approached.

He is wanted on a warrant for three counts of first degree murder, one count of attempted murder and breaking and entering a residence.

While police said Monday they were operating under the impression that Sanderson was in the city of Regina, located more than 300 kilometers (186 miles) south of James Smith’s Cree Nation, they no longer believed that ‘He was still there,’ Regina’s police chief said. Evan Bray said on Tuesday.

“Today we received information that leads us to believe that he may no longer be in this community…although we don’t know his whereabouts, we are still looking not only in the city of Regina, but also in the province as well,” Bray said.

Some of the victims were apparently targeted, police say

It remains unclear what prompted the violence and how or if the brothers knew any of the victims.

Some were apparently targeted while others may have been randomly attacked, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore said in a press briefing on Monday.

It’s also unclear if the brothers carried out the attacks at the same time, according to Blackmore.

The first stab wound was reported on James Smith’s Cree Nation at 5:40 a.m. local time. Minutes later, several more calls came in regarding stabbings at other locations, police said.

The nation has a population of about 3,400 people with about 1,800 members living on the reservation, according to its website.

As of 9:45 a.m., authorities were reporting casualties at several locations, including one in the village of Weldon.

Although police have not released the names of those killed, one has been identified as Gloria Burns, a first responder, according to Reuters.

Burns was responding to a crisis call when she was caught up in the violence and killed, her brother Darryl Burns told Reuters, although the agency did not say whether the call was related to the stabbing.

“She was slaughtered,” her brother Ivor Burns told Reuters.

The discovery of Damien Sanderson’s body a day after the attacks also raised questions about his brother’s involvement in his death. But police said on Monday it was unclear whether Myles Sanderson was involved.

“It’s an investigative lead that we’re following, but we can’t say definitively at this point,” Blackmore said.

The suspect had a ‘long’ criminal history and was released by the parole board

Myles Sanderson was described as around 6ft 1in tall and weighing around 240lbs, with brown hair and brown eyes. Police released an updated photo of him on Tuesday.

Blackmore previously said Sanderson had warrants for his arrest before the stabbings.

“Myles’ case goes back a number of years and includes both property and personal crimes,” Blackmore said, without giving details of the alleged crimes.

“His actions have shown that he is violent and so we continue to urge people to remain vigilant,” Blackmore added.

Sanderson was granted statutory release by the Parole Board of Canada, pursuant to a decision issued on February 1, 2022. The board said in the decision that it did not believe Sanderson would pose a risk to the public if he was released.

The decision noted his long criminal history and that he had been assessed by a psychologist for “moderate risk of violence”.

“Your criminal history is of great concern, including the use of violence and weapons related to your index offenses, and your history of domestic violence which victimized the family, including your children, and not the family,” says the decision.