“Horrible and heartbreaking,” says Trudeau
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has issued a statement of support for the families of those killed in today’s attacks.
The attacks in Saskatchewan today are horrific and heartbreaking. I think of those who have lost a loved one and those who have been injured,” he said in a tweet issued at 7:30 p.m.
We are closely monitoring the situation and ask everyone to follow updates from local authorities. Thanks to all the brave first responders for their efforts on the ground.”
The attacks in Saskatchewan today are horrific and heartbreaking. I think of those who have lost a loved one and those who have been injured.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) September 4, 2022
Updated at 02.33 BST
Key events
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Chakastaypasin Chief Calvin Sanderson, one of the elected leaders of the three communities that make up James Smith’s Cree Nation, has spoken of the impact the attacks have had on the close-knit community.
Sanderson said she had left her phone turned off Sunday morning and only learned of the tragic events when members of the community came to her door to check on her. Speaking to the Associated Press, he said:
Everyone has been affected… They were our relatives, friends. Mostly we’re all related here, so it’s pretty hard… It’s pretty awful.”
Trudeau promises justice for those responsible
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has vowed that those responsible for today’s “disgusting attacks” must be “fully brought to justice.”
In a statement issued Sunday afternoon, Trudeau said:
I am shocked and devastated by today’s horrific attacks on the James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon, Saskatchewan, which claimed the lives of 10 people and injured many more.”
As this is a developing situation, I encourage everyone in the area to heed the advice of law enforcement to shelter in place and take appropriate precautions.
Trudeau said the government of Canada has been “in direct communication” with the leadership of the James Smith Cree Nation community and is “willing to help in any way we can.”
Those responsible for today’s abominable attacks must be fully brought to justice.”
Updated at 04.19 BST
Victim identified as a 77-year-old widower
Weldon residents have identified one of the victims of the attacks as Wes Petterson.
Ruby Works said the 77-year-old widower was like an uncle to her. Speaking to the Associated Press, he said:
He didn’t do anything. He didn’t deserve this. He was a good man with a kind heart.
I collapsed and hit the ground. I’ve known him since I was a little girl,” she said, describing the moment she heard the news.
Works said he loved his cats, was proud of his homemade Saskatoon berry jam and often helped his neighbors.
He said the event has shaken a community where the sounds of sirens are rarely heard.
No one in this town will ever sleep again. They will be afraid to open their door, he said
Weldon resident Robert Rush also described the victim as a friendly widower in his 70s.
It wouldn’t hurt a fly,” he said.
Rush said Petterson’s grown grandson was in the basement at the time and called police.
Updated at 03.46 BST
Summary so far
As night falls in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan, here’s where things are:
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Police began receiving reports of stabbings around 5:40 a.m. on the James Smith Cree Nation. More reports of additional attacks quickly followed in the nearby village of Weldon, northeast of Saskatoon. Both communities are sparsely populated with 3,400 and 200 people respectively.
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At least 15 people were taken to hospital although “there may be additional injured victims who were transported to multiple hospitals,” Saskatchewan RCMP commanding officer Rhonda Blackmore said. Stars Air Ambulance spokesman Mark Oddan said two helicopters were dispatched from Saskatoon and one from Regina. He said two brought patients to Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon, while the third brought a patient to Royal University from a hospital in Melfort, a short distance southeast of Weldon.
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Additional personnel were called in in response to an “influx of casualties” and to help treat victims at multiple locations, Saskatchewan health authority spokeswoman Anne Linemann said in a statement.
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Some of the victims appear to have been targeted by the suspects, but others appear to have been attacked at random, said Rhonda Blackmore, the assistant commissioner of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Saskatchewan. She did not provide a reason.
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Police identified the suspects as Damien Sanderson, 31, and Myles Sanderson, 30. Both are said to have black hair and brown eyes, though their relationship is unclear. The pair were last seen driving a black Nissan Rogue with license plate number 119 MPI in Saskatchewan’s capital, Regina, about 320 km (200 miles) south of the attacks on the Cree Nation of James Smith and the village of Weldon, around lunch time.
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Police asked the suspects to surrender. “Let me be clear, we are still looking for both suspects,” Saskatchewan RCMP Assistant Commissioner and Commander Rhonda Blackmore said in a statement. “The two suspects are Damien Sanderson and Myles Sanderson… If they are listening, I would like to ask them to hand themselves over to the police. They are considered armed and dangerous.”
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A witness said she believed one of the suspects approached her and her daughter claiming he was injured. Doreen Lees, 89, said she and her daughter thought they saw one of the suspects when a car pulled into their street in Weldon early this morning. Lees said a man approached them and said he was hurt and needed help, but left and ran after his daughter told him she was going to call for help. “He wouldn’t show his face. He had a big jacket over his face. We asked for his name and he mumbled his name twice and we still couldn’t understand it,” he told the Associated Press. “He said his face was so hurt he couldn’t show it.” He said the man was alone and “a little wobbly.”
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Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the attacks “horrific and heartbreaking” in a statement of support for the families of those killed. “The attacks in Saskatchewan today are horrific and heartbreaking. My thoughts are with those who have lost a loved one and those who have been injured,” he said in a tweet issued at 7:30 p.m.
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Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe also issued a statement to the community, describing the attacks as “senseless violence.” “There are no words to adequately describe the pain and loss caused by this senseless violence. All of Saskatchewan grieves with the victims and their families,” he said.
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Residents of the James Smith Cree Nation chronicled the events on social media. One woman posted a picture of a broken door handle, adding that she was glad her little sister wasn’t home when it was broken. “This will forever traumatize me,” she wrote. Others posted tributes to family members killed in the attack, including a young woman who had seen her grandfather the night before, only to learn he was a victim of the attacks.
Footage of police forensics teams investigating a scene in Weldon, Saskatchewan hit our news wires this afternoon.
A police forensics team investigates the crime scene after several people were killed and injured in a stabbing in Weldon, Saskatchewan. Photo: David Stobbe/Reuters An investigator in protective gear looks down at the crime scene in Weldon. Photo: Heywood Yu/APTwo members of a forensics team examine evidence. Photo: David Stobbe/Reuters Police forensics team discuss their findings at the crime scene in Weldon. Photo: David Stobbe/Reuters A police officer in protective gear works at the scene of a stabbing. Photo: Heywood Yu/AP
Taking to social media, residents of the James Smith Cree Nation have chronicled the terror that gripped their community on Sunday morning.
One woman posted a picture of a broken door handle, adding that she was glad her little sister wasn’t home when it was broken.
“This will forever traumatize me,” she wrote.
Others posted tributes to family members killed in the attack, including a young woman who had seen her grandfather the night before, only to learn he was a victim of the attacks.
The sparsely populated communities of James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon are reeling from the attacks on their residents today.
James Smith Cree Nation is an indigenous community with a population of about 3,400 people who are primarily engaged in agriculture, hunting and fishing.
Weldon is a village of about 200 people.
Aerial view of Weldon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Photo: Wikimedia
The suspects urged to surrender
Police are asking the two identified suspects, Damien Sanderson and Myles Sanderson, to turn themselves in.
Saskatchewan RCMP Assistant Commissioner and Commander Rhonda Blackmore said in a statement:
To be clear, we are still looking for both suspects. We ask residents of Saskatchewan and our neighboring provinces to be vigilant. At this stage of our investigation, we believe some of the victims were attacked by the suspects and others were attacked at random.
The two suspects are Damien Sanderson and Myles Sanderson… If they are listening I would like to ask them to turn themselves in to the police.
They are considered armed and dangerous. They are believed to be in a black Nissan Rogue SUV with Saskatchewan license plate 119 MPI. At this time, we do not know if they have changed vehicles since this morning. His location and direction of travel are unknown.”
Chronology of events
5.40am – Police begin receiving reports of stabbings in the James Smith Cree…