10 people dead in stabbing spree in Canada; suspects still at large

Today, September 4, 2022, at 5:40 this morning, the Saskatchewan RCMP Divisional Operational Communications Center, or our DOCC, received a call reporting a stabbing on the James Smith Cree Nation. In the following minutes, our DOCC received multiple calls reporting additional stabbings, at different locations in the community. The suspects named were Damien Sanderson and Miles Sanderson.

Melfort RCMP officers and other resources were immediately dispatched to the locations in the community, to help the victims and to track the two suspects.

At 7:12 a.m., Saskatchewan RCMP issued an initial Dangerous Persons Alert to residents of the James Smith Cree Nation and surrounding communities – including Candle Lake, Prince Albert, Melfort, Humboldt and Rosthern – informing the public of stabbings being committed by two male suspects, and asking the public to seek immediate shelter and shelter in place.

At 11:25, we sent requests to Manitoba RCMP and Alberta RCMP to extend the Dangerous Persons Alert to the residents of their provinces.

At 12:07, a fifth Alert update was sent advising the residents of Saskatchewan the suspect vehicle had been seen by a driver on Arcola Avenue in Regina and asked the public in Regina to consider sheltering in place.

At this point in our investigation, we have located 10 deceased individuals and are investigating 13 locations in the communities of the James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon in Saskatchewan.

Several additional victims have been injured, 15 of which at this point have been transported to various hospitals. There may be additional injured victims who transported themselves to the various hospitals. We ask any injured person who hasn’t already spoken to police to please contact 310-RCMP (306-310-7267).