A number of areas in Saskatchewansouth Canadadeclared the state of civil security emergency ended stab Mass was held at a number of locations in the region directly bordering the United States on Sunday (4/9).
A state of emergency has been declared as the two suspects are still at large. At least 10 people are believed to have been killed and 15 others injured in the mass stabbing attacks that took place at 13 sites in James Smith First Nation, north of Melfort, Saskatchewan, since Sunday morning local time.
James Smith First Nation is a region of the Plains Cree Aboriginal community that consists of a reserve area. The region has 3,400 inhabitants, the majority of whom live off farmers, hunters and fishermen.
Former elected officials in the region have declared a state of emergency in response to the massive stabbing attacks. The local government also set up two emergency operations centers to deal with the deadliest incident in modern Canadian history.
Similar warnings were issued in the neighboring provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba.
Meanwhile, police reported that the two suspects identified as Damien Sanderson (31) and Myles Sanderson (30) were still wanted. Authorities also distributed photos and physical descriptions of the Sanderson brothers but did not provide a motive for their assault.
Cited ReutersDamien and Myles were seen traveling in a black Nissan Rogue and were briefly spotted in the city of Regina, about 320 kilometers south of the James Smith Cree Nation.
However, police could not confirm whether the two men were still using the same vehicle and it is unclear where the suspects traveled at the time.
“It looks like some of the victims may have been targeted by them, some of them may have been random. So it’s hard to talk about the motives at this time,” said Rhonda Blackmore, Commander of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Saskatchewan.
Blackmore predicts that the number of victims could increase further as there are a number of people coming to the hospital with stab wounds.
The first stabbing reportedly occurred Sunday morning around 5:40 a.m. local time. Within three hours, police issued a danger warning to residents across the province.
A police warning urges residents to report if they have any information and see suspicious movements of the suspects.
Residents are also asked to be more vigilant, to stay away from crowds and to refuse to cross the line or approach suspicious people.
“Do not leave a safe place. Be careful when letting other people into your residence,” a police officer said.
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