‘Truly heart-breaking’: Prince William and Kate Middleton send message of support to victims of stabbing massacre in Canada after 10 are killed – as one of the murder suspects is found dead
- Duke and Duchess of Cambridge said their ‘thoughts and prayers are with the victims’ after the massacre
- Ten people were stabbed to death and 19 were wounded in the Saskatchewan indigenous community
- Suspect Damien Sanderson, 31, was found dead on the James Smith Cree Nation, police said on Monday
- His brother Myles remains on the run, but police believe he ‘may have sustained injuries’
- Attacks were among the deadliest in Canada’s history and victims identified ranged in age from 77 to 14
Prince William and Kate Middleton have shared a touching tribute to the victims of horrific stabbing massacre in Canada which saw ten people killed.
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge posted an Instagram Story message to a black background to express their sympathies for the people of the Commonwealth country after one of its deadliest ever massacres.
They wrote this morning: ‘The attacks at James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, Saskatchewan are truly heart-breaking.
‘Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims of these horrific acts and all those that have lost loved ones.
‘Catherine and I send our best wishes to the people of Canada. W.’
The savage killings were carried out on Sunday morning, with ten killed and 19 wounded in the stabbing rampage that devastated an indigenous community.
Damien Sanderson, 31, and Myles Sanderson, 30, are suspected of carrying out the brutal attack together.
Damien was found dead yesterday on the James Cree Smith Nation where they carried out the knife massacre, while Myles is still at large.
Prince William and Kate Middleton have shared a touching tribute to the victims of horrific stabbing massacre in Canada which saw ten people killed
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge posted an Instagram Story message to a black background to express their sympathies for the people of the Commonwealth country after one of its deadliest ever massacres
Annie Sanderson, who was close with one of the stabbing victims, Gloria Lydia Burns, 62, comforts her granddaughter
Damien Sanderson (left) has been found dead, Canadian police said on Monday. His brother Myles Sanderson (right) remains on the run, sought in connection with stabbings in Saskatchewan on Sunday
Evan Bray, chief of Regina police, is pictured at a press conference on Monday afternoon
Massacre timeline
September 4, 5.40am: Police receive report of a stabbing in James Smith Cree Nation
7.12am: Police urge public to find shelter and issue Dangerous Persons Alert
7.57am: Police reveal names and pictures of two suspects
12.07pm: Suspected vehicle is spotted in Regina
3.45pm: Police announce 10 have been killed and 15 injured across 13 locations
September 5, 11.45am: Injuries rise to 18
3.50pm: Body of Damien Sanderson found at James Smith Cree Nation
Myles ‘may have sustained injuries’ and may be seeking medical attention, Rhonda Blackmore, commanding officer of the Saskatchewan Royal Canadian Mounted Police said at a news conference.
Damien’s injuries are not believed to be self-inflicted – and Myles is still on the run, police said.
The attacks were among the deadliest in Canada’s modern history – and some of the victims appeared to have been targeted, while others were apparently random.
A mother of two, a 77-year-old widower, a first responder and a 14-year-old boy were the initial victims identified.
The siblings – who were described as armed and dangerous – are the chief suspects in attacks on 29 people in 13 different locations on the James Smith Cree Nation on Sunday afternoon.
Myles Sanderson has been wanted since May when he stopped going to court mandated visits with his parole officer.
He disappeared while out on parole on a five year sentence for assault, robbery, mischief and making threats, according to Regina police chief, Evan Bray.
He was charged with three counts of murder in the first degree, one count of attempted murder and one count of breaking and entering.
Damien Sanderson was previously charged with one count of murder in the first degree, one count of attempted murder and one count of breaking and entering. But police confirmed that he’s now been found dead.
‘We know. We are confident that someone out there knows the whereabouts of these two and has information that would be valuable to the police,’ said Bray. ‘I urge you to get in touch with your local police service.’
The brothers fled in a black Nissan Rogue SUV which was spotted 200 miles south of the indigenous reserve.
‘This is my brothers’ vehicle that they took when they entered our home this morning in James Smith Cree Nation,’ a woman posted on Facebook, according to SkyNews Canada.
‘We (can’t) care less about the vehicle but let these monsters be caught.’
Rhonda Blackmore, commanding officer of the Saskatchewan Royal Canadian Mounted Police, is seen on Monday afternoon announcing the death of Damien Sanderson
Darryl Burns holds a photo of his sister, Gloria Lydia Burns, 62, who was stabbed to death in Weldon, Saskatchewan during the Sunday killing spree
Royal Canadian Mounted Police investigators pour over the scene on the James Smith Cree Nation reserve looking for clues after 10 people were stabbed to death and 19 others were wounded
Forensic investigators analyze the evidence at the crime scene after 10 people were fatally stabbed in Weldon, Saskatchewan
The brothers are believed to have stabbed the victims across 13 sites in the indigenous reserve and in the nearby village of Weldon, northeast of the city of Saskatoon.
A police alert and search expanded from Saskatchewan to include neighboring Manitoba and Alberta provinces – a vast region half the size of Europe.
The chief of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations suggested the stabbings could be drug-related, as it emerged that Myles was listed as ‘unlawfully at large’ by police in May.
The devastated community named Lana Head, the mother of two daughters, as one of the victims of the attack and said she died alongside her partner, who has not been identified.
Wes Petterson, a 77-year-old widower, was the second victim to be named by locals.
Following the frenzied stabbing, the armed suspects reportedly fled the scene in the Nissan which was since spotted in Regina, a city about 208 miles south of the communities where the stabbings occurred, police said.
Blackmore, the Assistant Commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said some of the victims appear to have been targeted by the suspects – but others appear to have been attacked at random.
One of the 10 victims who was stabbed to death in the attack was named as Lana Head (pictured), a mother of two daughters
Investigators – including police, forensics, and coroners – gather in front of the scene of a stabbing in Weldon, Saskatchewan
The armed suspects reportedly fled the scene in a black Nissan Rogue SUV (pictured) was spotted in Regina, a city about 208 miles south of the communities where the stabbings occurred, police said
The first stabbings were reported at 5.40am in James Smith Cree Nation, a sparsely populated indigenous community with a population of about 3,400 people largely engaged in farming, hunting and fishing.
Weldon is a village of some 200 people.
Within three hours of the stabbings, police issued a province-wide dangerous persons alert. By Sunday afternoon, similar alerts were also issued in Saskatchewan’s neighboring provinces Alberta and Manitoba.
The elected leaders of the three communities that make up the James Smith Cree Nation, including the Chakastaypasin Band and the Peter Chapman Band, declared a local state of emergency and opened up two emergency operations centers.
Chief Bobby Cameron of the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, a group which represents 74 First Nations in the state of Saskatchewan, suggested the stabbings were drug-related.
‘This is the destruction we face when harmful illegal drugs invade our communities, and we demand all authorities to take direction from the Chiefs and Councils and their membership to create safer and healthier communities for our people,’ Cameron said.
The former partner of Lana Head, who was killed in the attack, also suggested the attack was linked to drugs and alcohol.
Michael Brett Burns, who has two daughters with Head, told the Aboriginal People’s Television Network: ‘It’s sick how jail time, drugs and alcohol can destroy many lives.
‘I’m hurt for all this loss.’
Burns earlier paid tribute to his ex-partner, writing on Facebook: ‘You will be missed dearly Lana. Thank you for beautiful daughters and granddaughters.’
A friend also paid tribute to Head, writing on Facebook: ‘I love you and say prayers for your children, grandchildren, your family. I am going to miss your sweet hello’s and messages. I will forever cherish your sweet demeanor and caring ways.’
Ruby Works said the second named victim, Wes Petterson, was like an uncle to her.
‘I collapsed and hit the ground. I’ve known him since I was just a little girl,’ she said, describing the moment she heard the news.
She said he loved his cats, was proud of his homemade Saskatoon berry jam and frequently helped out his neighbors.
‘He didn’t do anything. He didn’t deserve this. He was a good, kind hearted man,’ said Works.
Weldon resident Robert Rush described Petterson as a gentle, widowed man in his 70s. ‘He wouldn’t hurt a fly,’ he said.
Rush said Petterson’s adult grandson was in the basement at the time of the stabbing and phoned police.
Chakastaypasin Chief Calvin Sanderson – who is not related to the suspects – said everyone’s been affected by the tragic events.
‘They were our relatives, friends,’ Sanderson said of the victims. ‘It’s pretty horrific.’
Indigenous people account for less than five per cent of Canada’s population of about 38 million and suffer from higher levels of poverty, unemployment and a lower life expectancy than other Canadians.
Saskatchewan RCMP are seen at the site of the mass stabbing at James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon
Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, tweeted: ‘The attacks in Saskatchewan today are horrific and heartbreaking. I’m thinking of those who have lost a loved one and of those who were injured.
‘We are closely monitoring the situation, and urge everyone to follow updates from local authorities,’ he continued.
‘Thank you to all the brave first responders for their efforts on the ground.’
The deadliest gun rampage in Canadian history occurred in 2020 when a man disguised as a police officer shot people in their homes and set fires across the province of Nova Scotia, killing 22 people.
A man used a van to kill 10 pedestrians in Toronto in 2019. But mass killings are less common in Canada than in the United States.
Deadly mass stabbings are more rare than mass shootings but have happened around the world.
In 2014, 29 people were slashed and stabbed to death at a train station in China’s southwestern city of Kunming.
In 2016, a mass stabbing at a facility for the mentally disabled in Sagamihara, Japan, left 19 people dead.
A year later, three men killed eight people in a vehicle and stabbing attack at London Bridge.
A police forensics team investigates a crime scene following the horrific killing spree
Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau tweeted : ‘The attacks in Saskatchewan today are horrific and heartbreaking. I’m thinking of those who have lost a loved one and of those who were injured’
The PM continued that they are closely monitoring the situation, and urge everyone to follow updates from local authorities
A police officer walks through the scene of a stabbing in Weldon, Saskatchewan
A police forensics team investigates a crime scene after multiple people were killed and injured in a stabbing spree in Weldon, Saskatchewan
Investigators gather in front of a table near the scene of stabbing in Weldon, Saskatchewan
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