Crime

Canadian Knifeman Killed 11 Including His Brother, Authorities Say

Myles Sanderson is alleged to have killed several people on and around an Indigenous reserve in September

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Published on October 7, 2022 12:43 PM

Canadian police are revealing new details on an attack that occurred mostly on an Indigenous reserve last month, when they say one man killed 11 people with a knife, including his brother.

Myles Sanderson, 32, is alleged to have killed 11 people, including his brother Damien, and attacked a total of 29 people on Sept. 4.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police have since raised the death toll to 11 from 10 after now counting Damien, 31, who was initially involved in planning the stabbings in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. Nine of those killings took place at the James Smith Cree Nation.

"In the aftermath of the Sept. 4 tragedy, our officers have been working tirelessly to investigate all aspects of the attacks," a Thursday statement from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore reads. "This includes the events and interactions leading up to the homicides until the arrest of Myles Sanderson."

Royal Canadian Mounted Police vehicles are seen next to a pickup truck at the scene where suspect Myles Sanderson was arrested, along Highway 11 near the town of Rosthern, Saskatchewan, Canada, on September 7, 2022. - Canadian police said September 7, 2022 they arrested the second and final suspect over the stabbing spree that left 10 people dead and 18 wounded in a remote Indigenous community, two days after the first suspect was found dead. (Photo by LARS HAGBERG / AFP) / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by LARS HAGBERG has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [near the town of Rosthern] instead of [in Weldon]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. — LARS HAGBERG/AFP via Getty

The Saskatchewan RCMP reports that it received 4,600 calls from the public between Sept. 3 and Sept. 8, as information "based on what is currently known" points to Damien stealing a vehicle on Sept. 3 and entering an RV, before reportedly giving officers a fake name when they asked him who he was. The most recent photo police had of Damien was reportedly from 2014.

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He and his brother were then involved in "at least three violent altercations" with other people and had been selling drugs at the First Nation reserve in the days leading up to the stabbings, but authorities say they were not made aware of them before the attacks.

A Royal Canadian Mounted Police officer takes a pictures of police vehicles next to a pickup truck at the scene where suspect Myles Sanderson was arrested, along Highway 11 near the town of Rosthern, Saskatchewan, Canada, on September 7, 2022. - Canadian police said September 7, 2022 they arrested the second and final suspect over the stabbing spree that left 10 people dead and 18 wounded in a remote Indigenous community, two days after the first suspect was found dead. (Photo by LARS HAGBERG / AFP) / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by LARS HAGBERG has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [near the town of Rosthern] instead of [in Weldon]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require. — LARS HAGBERG/AFP via Getty

"After completing 250 interviews, processing over 670 exhibits, reviewing and following up on over 100-911 calls for service, investigators have determined… Damien Sanderson was a victim of homicide by Myles Sanderson," RCMP shared in the statement and at a press conference. "Myles Sanderson committed all the homicides alone."

The Saskatchewan RCMP did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for more information.

Royal Canadian Mounted Police are seen at the scene where suspect Myles Sanderson was arrested, along Highway 11 near the town of Rosthern, Saskatchewan, Canada, on September 7, 2022. - Canadian police said September 7, 2022 they arrested the second and final suspect over the stabbing spree that left 10 people dead and 18 wounded in a remote Indigenous community, two days after the first suspect was found dead. (Photo by LARS HAGBERG / AFP) / The erroneous mention[s] appearing in the metadata of this photo by LARS HAGBERG has been modified in AFP systems in the following manner: [near the town of Rosthern] instead of [in Weldon]. Please immediately remove the erroneous mention[s] from all your online services and delete it (them) from your servers. If you have been authorized by AFP to distribute it (them) to third parties, please ensure that the same actions are carried out by them. Failure to promptly comply with these instructions will entail liability on your part for any continued or post notification usage. Therefore we thank you very much for all your attention and prompt action. We are sorry for the inconvenience this notification may cause and remain at your disposal for any further information you may require — LARS HAGBERG/AFP via Getty

"Our investigators continue to corroborate witness statements with physical evidence and exhibits to create an accurate picture of the motives behind these crimes and why some of the victims were targeted," Blackmore shared in the statement. "This will take time to complete and the reality is, we may never really know exactly why."

Myles was arrested following a highway chase, and his brother was found in a grassy area near a house where murders took place. The Saskatchewan RCMP used 250 witnesses, forensic evidence and DNA analysis to determine Myles killed Damien. Myles also eventually died after going into "medical distress," and the reasoning is being investigated by the municipal police in Saskatoon.

According to the New York Times, many community members believed that Damien was killed while trying to stop his brother, but both were initially charged with first-degree attempted murder and breaking and entering in the attack. The Crown has since dropped all charges following the deaths of the two men.

"The Saskatchewan Victim Services Unit continues to work closely with family members of victims and those affected by the incident to ensure ongoing support and communications are provided for their healing process to continue," Blackmore said. "We understand the significant interest in this investigation and know there are still many questions left unanswered. Many of these answers will be released during the Coroner's inquest scheduled to take place in 2023."