An expansive search continued in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan on Monday for the two men suspected of Sunday’s stabbing rampage that killed 10 people and injured at least 15, one of the deadliest cases of mass violence in recent years.
Canada stabbing suspects still at large after 10 people killed
“Unfortunately the two males are still at large, this despite ongoing, relentless efforts through the night by both the RCMP [Royal Canadian Mounted Police] and the Regina Police Service to locate these two individuals,” Evan Bray, the provincial capital’s police chief, said in a video Monday morning.
Bray urged the public to come forward with information about the suspects, saying authorities “are confident that someone out there knows the whereabouts of these two.” He added that the communities where the killings occurred are suffering from “grief and anxiety.”
On Sunday, authorities sent a dangerous-persons alert at about 7:12 a.m., urging people in the area to seek shelter and warning that the two men were “armed and dangerous.” The alert was later expanded to the provinces of Manitoba and Alberta.
The men were believed t0 be traveling in a black Nissan Rogue crossover SUV after being spotted in Regina, about 200 miles to the south, shortly before midday Sunday, authorities said. They later said that the men may have changed their vehicle, and that their direction of travel was unknown.
Bray, the Regina police chief, said Sunday that the men “are likely” in that city, and he reassured residents that the police were focusing on finding the suspects.
The attacks have stunned the nation’s leaders, where incidents of mass violence are relatively uncommon. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau described the attacks as “horrific and heartbreaking.”
In a Twitter thread, Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe thanked police for their efforts.
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.
— Scott Moe (@PremierScottMoe) September 4, 2022
The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations, which represents 74 First Nations in the Saskatchewan province, offered condolences to the families of the victims in a statement Sunday.
“The FSIN Executive sends our deepest condolences and offers a message of solidarity with the people of James Smith Cree Nation after the unspeakable violence that claimed the lives of innocent people. Our hearts break for all those impacted,” the statement said.
As authorities scrambled to locate the suspects Monday, questions remained unanswered about the motivations for the assaults.
Rhonda Blackmore, assistant commissioner of the Saskatchewan Royal Canadian Mounted Police, said Sunday evening that it appeared that some of the victims at 13 crime scenes “may have been targeted and some may be random.”
“So to speak to a motive would be extremely difficult at this time,” she said at a news conference.
By Monday morning, authorities had yet to release the names of those killed in the attack.
This is a developing story that will update.
Source: WP
