What is known about the knife attacks that killed 10 people in Canada

Police are looking for two people after at least ten people were killed in a wave of attacks that shocked Canada.

Canadian police launched a major operation to find two people suspected of stabbing to death at least ten people in an attack that shocked the country on Sunday (4/9).

Fugitives Damien Sanderson and Myles Sanderson are considered armed and dangerous.

The victims were found at 13 different locations in the remote James Smith Cree Nation community and near the village of Weldon in Saskatchewan State.

This is one of the most violent attacks Canada has ever faced. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the situation was “very sad”.

At least 15 more people were injured. Police advise residents to be extremely careful as the search takes place in one of the largest and most remote areas of the country.

“I was shocked and devastated by the horrific attacks. Those responsible for these heinous acts must be brought to justice,” Trudeau said in a statement.

When news of the stabbing broke out, a dangerous person alert was sent to all registered mobile phones in the provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba and Alberta, a gigantic region almost half the size of Europe.

A state of emergency has been declared in the James Smith Cree Nation area, a community of about 2,000 near the village of Weldon, which is home to just 200 people.

“Stay in a safe place. Be careful not to let others into your home,” the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) told residents.

Several checkpoints were set up and drivers were told not to give cars to foreigners.

Saskatchewan RCMP commander Rhonda Blackmore said some people may have been specific targets of the attack, while others are believed to have been “stabbed at random”.

According to police, the suspects were last seen in the city of Regina around lunchtime on Sunday (4/9) and may be traveling in a black Nissan Rogue.

The relationship between Damien Sanderson, 31, and Myles Sanderson, 30, is unknown. Authorities have so far provided no further information about the suspects.

At a press conference on Sunday night, police said more than 15 people taken to hospitals in the area could be injured.

Investigators declined to speculate on the motives behind the attack, but Bobby Cameron, President of the Sovereign Indigenous Nations Federation, suggested the case may be related to drugs.

“This is the devastation we face when harmful illicit drugs invade our communities, and we demand that all authorities follow the lead of leaders and councils to build safer and healthier communities for our people,” Cameron said. said.

The first emergency was dispatched to the police at 5:40 am (8:40 p.m. EDT) in the state capital, Regina, about 280 km south of Weldon.

This initial warning was followed by several calls for help, which, in the words of the police, constituted a “rapid incident”.

Anne Lindemann, spokesperson for the Saskatchewan Health Authority, told local media that more staff needed to be hired to deal with the “influx of disappearances.”

Officials said, “They are considered armed and dangerous. Do not approach if you see suspects or their vehicles. Leave the area immediately and call 911.”

Logan Stein, a local journalist, told the BBC the area where the attack took place was remote. He reported that the suspects went door to door and stabbed residents of the neighborhood.

Calvin Sanderson, chief of Chakastaypasin, one of the region’s elected leaders, told the Regina Leader Post that everyone in the community was impressed.

“They were our family and friends. Most of us are relatives here, so it’s very difficult,” Sanderson said. “This is so scary.”

Weldon resident Diane Shier said her neighbor, who lived with her grandchild, was killed, according to the Globe and Mail.

Another resident, Robert Rush, stated that the victim was “a kind, widowed man in his 70s.”

“It wouldn’t hurt a fly,” he added.

Another victim was Lana Head, mother of two. His former partner, Michael Brett Burns, told local media he was “hurt by all these losses”.

Canadian Indian Affairs Minister Marc Miller said he has reached out to community leaders to “offer Canada’s full support and any assistance that may be needed in the days to come”.

Events timeline

• 5:40 a.m. local time – Police received the first call about a stabbing at James Smith Cree Nation. Within minutes, more alerts began to appear.
• 07:12 – Police warned of dangerous persons and immediately asked everyone for asylum.
• 07:57 – Police uncovered the names, descriptions and photos of the two suspects.
• 8:20 am – Warning about dangerous people extended to the entire state of Saskatchewan.
• 11:25 – Search for suspects expanded to neighboring states of Manitoba and Alberta.
• 12:07 – Police warned the public about the suspicious vehicle. Information emerged that the car was seen in the state capital Regina.

– This text was published at https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-62793921.