The Saskatchewan Forensic Service and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Saskatchewan provided the names and ages of the victims in a statement Wednesday, but declined to confirm their relationships. Six of the victims share the surname Burns, two share the surname Head and one shares the surname of the two suspects in the attacks.
Petterson is from Weldon, Saskatchewan, while the other nine victims are from the James Smith Cree Nation.
In addition, 18 people were injured in the stabbing attacks, but authorities would not release their identities. “We can confirm that one teenager was injured and the remaining injured are all adults. We will not confirm other specific ages,” the agencies said.
Three patients were in critical condition and seven were in stable condition as of Tuesday, according to the Saskatchewan Health Authority. The information about the victims was released as Canadian police continued a massive manhunt for one of two suspects in the brutal attacks, which lasted 13 years. different crime scenes in the James Smith Cree Nation and in Weldon, a rural town near Saskatchewan. Authorities have identified brothers Myles and Damien Sanderson as suspects. Myles Sanderson remains at large and is considered “armed and dangerous,” while Damien Sanderson was found dead a day after the attacks with wounds not believed to be self-inflicted, police said.
Police have warned that Myles Sanderson could be injured. He is wanted on a warrant for three counts of first-degree murder, one count of attempted murder and breaking and entering a residence.
Police reported a possible sighting of Sanderson on the James Smith Cree Nation on Tuesday, but police later determined he was not in the community. The search has spread across the province of Saskatchewan, authorities said.
Some of the victims were apparently attacked, according to police
It is still unclear what motivated the violence and how or if the brothers knew any of the victims.
Some were apparently targeted while others may have been attacked at random, Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore said at a briefing Monday.
It is also unknown whether the brothers carried out the attacks at the same time, according to Blackmore.
The first stabbing was reported in the James Smith Cree Nation at 5:40 a.m. local time. Minutes later, they received several more calls about stabbings at other locations, police said.
The nation has a population of about 3,400 people with about 1,800 members living on the reservation, according to its website.
As of 9:45 a.m., authorities were reporting casualties at several locations, including one in Weldon.
Lydia Gloria Burns, a first responder, was responding to a crisis call when she was caught up in the violence and killed, her brother Darryl Burns told Reuters, although the agency did not say whether the call it was related to the stabbings.
“They killed her,” her brother Ivor Burns told Reuters.
The discovery of Damien Sanderson’s body a day after the attacks also raised questions about his brother’s involvement in his death. But police said Monday it was unclear whether Myles Sanderson was involved.
“It’s an avenue of investigation that we’re following, but we can’t say definitively at this point,” Blackmore said.
The suspect had an “extensive” criminal record and was released by the parole board
Myles Sanderson was described as approximately 6 feet 1 inch tall, weighing about 240 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Police released an updated photo of him on Tuesday.
Blackmore previously said Sanderson had warrants out for his arrest before the stabbings.
“Myles’ record goes back quite a number of years and includes crimes against property and persons,” Blackmore said, without elaborating on the alleged crimes.
“His actions have shown that he is violent and so we continue to emphasize that people remain vigilant,” Blackmore added.
The Parole Board of Canada granted Sanderson statutory release, according to a decision made on February 1, 2022.
Statutory release is a statutory release that allows an offender to serve part of their sentence in the community under direct supervision, according to the board. Under Canadian law, the Correctional Service of Canada must release most offenders with supervision after serving two-thirds of their sentence, if they have not yet been granted parole, except for those serving a chain perpetual
The board said in the ruling that it did not believe Sanderson would pose a risk to the public if released. The decision did note his lengthy criminal record and that he was assessed by a psychologist for a “moderate risk of violence.”
“Your criminal record is very troubling, including the use of violence and weapons related to your index crimes, and your history of domestic violence that victimized family, including your children and non-relatives,” the sentence states.
In a statement, the Parole Board said it “extends its thoughts to the victims, their families and all those who have been affected as a result of these senseless and horrific acts of violence.”
Citing the Privacy Act, the board said it could not discuss details of an offender’s case.
CNN’s Paula Newton, Tina Burnside, Chuck Johnston, Michelle Watson and Cara Lynn Clarkson contributed to this report.