SASKATOON—RCMP says Myles Sanderson, the second suspect in the Saskatchewan stabbing spree that left 10 people dead, has been taken into custody.
Police say Sanderson was arrested around 3:30 p.m. local time near the town of Rosthern, which is about 65 kilometres north of Saskatoon.
So far no details about his capture have been released, but the news came less than two hours after an emergency alert that said a person armed with a knife had stolen a vehicle and was last seen in the Wakaw area, which is about 100 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.
Saskatchewan stabbing attack suspect Myles Sanderson, seen in a police handout photo. (The Canadian Press/HO-Saskatchewan RCMP)
Police have been searching for Sanderson, 32, since Sunday morning, when 9 people were stabbed to death on the James Smith Cree Nation, as well as a man in the nearby town of Weldon. Eighteen people were injured in the attacks.
Myles Sanderson’s brother, Damien Sanderson, the other suspect in the attacks, was found dead in a grassy area on the James Smith Cree Nation on Sept. 5. According to the police, the injuries were not self-inflicted.
RCMP say as updates become available, they will be made public on the Saskatchewan RCMP website.
In a social media post, the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations (FSIN) said it’s relieved that Myles Sanderson has been taken into police custody.
“The healing process begins,” the FSIN said. “We are thankful for everyone’s assistance. We are grateful he was apprehended and that no more lives were lost. We keep the people of James Smith and all those affected in our thoughts and prayers.”
An RCMP officer interacts with a driver at a police roadblock in James Smith Cree Nation, Sask., on Sept. 6, 2022. (The Canadian Press/Heywood Yu)
The police had previously sent out warning notices through Saskatchewan’s emergency alert system, urging the public in the area to avoid contact with the suspect.
Myles Sanderson has dozens of criminal offences in his past, including violence. In August 2021, he was granted statutory release after a sentence of more than four years for offences that included assault, assault with a weapon, assaulting a police officer, and uttering death threats.
Video courtesy Jordan Brandon