Canada Mass Stabbing: Second Suspect Dies in Police Custody
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On Wed., three days after a mass stabbing that killed 10 and injured 18 in Saskatchewan, Canada, suspect Myles Sanders died after in police custody experiencing "medical distress" following his arrest, according to authorities.
Previously, his brother Damien Sanderson, who was also a suspect, was found dead on Monday. Police are investigating whether Myles had a hand in Damien's death.
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) began a manhunt for the suspects less than three hours after the attacks on Sunday. Several of the attacks took place on the Cree Nation reserve and the nearby village of Weldon.
One of the elected leaders of the three communities that make up the Nation, Chakastaypasin Chief Calvin Sanderson, said "Everyone's been affected ... Mostly we're all related here, so it's pretty hard ... it's pretty horrific."
Myles Sanderson was charged with first-degree murder, attempted murder, and breaking and entering. Police still haven't determined a motive, and with the death of both suspects, they might never understand the killers' motivation. The RCMP believes some victims were targeted while others may have been random.
Canadian PM Justin Trudeau said he was "shocked and devastated." The RCMP in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Manitoba are jointly investigating the stabbings, and support is being provided to the impacted communities.
Narrative A, as provided by Al Jazeera. Canada may not match other countries in terms of the total number of mass killings, but across the country, there has been an increase in these tragedies in recent years, including a van driver killing 11 pedestrians in Toronto in 2018, and a man posing as a police officer shooting and killing 22 people in Nova Scotia in 2020. This is a concerning upward trend.
Narrative B, as provided by AP News. The motive may not yet be established, but for too long, Indigenous communities have been ignored. Indigenous people suffer higher levels of poverty and unemployment and have a lower life expectancy than other Canadians. Now we see the consequences of the community's drug epidemic and the disinterest of law enforcement. Incidents like this highlight the importance of leaders listening to community needs.