Myles Sanderson, the suspect in the mass stabbing in Canada, died Wednesday after going into “medical distress” after his arrest, according to Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore.
Sanderson’s death means both suspects in the attack that rocked the Canadian province of Saskatchewan are now dead. Sanderson’s brother, Damien Sanderson was found dead a day after the attacks with injuries that were not believed to be self-inflicted, police said.
Both brothers were wanted in connection with the deaths of 10 of the stabbing victims. But when asked by a reporter if Myles Sanderson was the one who carried out the killings, Blackmore said, “Our witness accounts that we have received have indicated that Myles Sanderson was the person responsible,” though she noted the investigation is still working to confirm exactly who was involved.
The events leading up to Myles Sanderson’s death began with a call at 2:07 p.m. local time Wednesday for a breaking and entering when officers received information Sanderson was standing outside of a home northeast of the town of Wakaw with a knife. It was reported he stole a white Chevrolet Avalanche truck and fled the property and RCMP issued an emergency alert, Blackmore said.
Over the next 45 minutes, RCMP received more than 20 calls about potential sightings the truck. An RCMP officer eventually saw the truck going at least 150 kph (90 mph) and it was located on a nearby highway, Blackmore said.
“To ensure the safety of drivers on the highway, the vehicle was directed off the road and into a nearby ditch,” Blackmore said.
Police confirmed the driver was Sanderson and took him into custody, Blackmore said. A knife was found inside his vehicle.
“Shortly after his arrest he went into medical distress. Nearby EMS were called to attend the scene and he was transported to a hospital in Saskatoon,” Blackmore said, adding he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Blackmore said “all life-saving measures that we are capable of were taken” until EMS arrived when Sanderson went into medical distress. She would not comment when asked whether the administration of Narcan was one of those life-saving measures.
“I can’t speak to the specific manner of death, that’s gonna be part of the autopsy that will be conducted,” Blackmore said.
The Saskatoon Police Service and the Saskatchewan Incident Response Team will conduct the investigation into Sanderson’s death, according to Blackmore.
Sanderson’s death and arrest come three days after 10 people were killed in the mass stabbing, and additional 18 people were injured. The victims ages ranged from 23 to 78 years old, authorities said.
All but one victim is from James Smith Cree Nation
The 10 victims range in age from 23 to 78 years old, and all but one are from the Indigenous community of James Smith Cree Nation, according to authorities.
The Saskatchewan Coroner’s Service and RCMP provided names and ages of the victims in a statement Wednesday but declined to confirm the relationships between them. Six of the victims share the last name Burns, two share the last name Head, and one shares the last name of the two suspects in the attacks.
The victims were identified as:
- Thomas Burns, 23
- Carol Burns, 46
- Gregory Burns, 28
- Lydia Gloria Burns, 61
- Bonnie Burns, 48
- Earl Burns, 66
- Lana Head, 49
- Christian Head, 54
- Robert Sanderson, 49
- Wesley Petterson, 78
Petterson is from Weldon, Saskatchewan, while the other nine victims are from James Smith Cree Nation.
Several family members of some victims spoke at a press conference Wednesday about their loved ones. Saskatoon Tribal Chief Mark Arcand identified Bonnie Burns as his sister and Gregory Burns as her son, and he said another of her sons was stabbed but survived.
“Let me be honest in saying this, we don’t really know what happened. We just know that our family members were killed in their own home, in their yard,” Arcand said.
In addition, 18 people were injured in the stabbing attacks, but authorities will not be releasing their identities. “We can confirm one young teen was injured and the remaining injured are all adults. We will not be confirming other specific ages,” the agencies said.