Ottawa: Canadian police have launched a huge manhunt for two men suspected of stabbing at least 10 people to death in a rampage that has shocked the nation.
The two suspects named Damien Sanderson and Myles Sanderson are on the run and considered armed and dangerous, a BBC report said.
Victims were found in 13 locations in the remote indigenous community of James Smith Cree Nation and nearby Weldon.
A state of emergency was declared in the James Smith Cree Nation – a community of about 2,000 residents north-east of the village of Weldon, which is home to just 200 people.
“Do not leave a secure location. Use caution allowing others into your residence,” Saskatchewan Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) warned people across the search area.
Numerous checkpoints have been set up and drivers have been urged not to pick up hitchhikers.
There is still no word on a motive for the crimes.
It is one of the deadliest acts of mass violence Canada has seen. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called it “heartbreaking”.
At least 15 others were injured in the killing spree, with police urging residents to be extremely vigilant as they conduct a search operation across one of Canada’s largest and most remote regions.
“I am shocked and devastated by the horrific attacks today,” Trudeau said in a statement. “Those responsible for today’s abhorrent attacks must be fully brought to justice.”
As news of the stabbings broke, a dangerous person alert was sent to all mobile phones across the provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and Alberta – an enormous region almost half the size of Europe, the BBC said.
The relationship between Damien Sanderson, 31, and Myles Sanderson, 30, is unclear, and the authorities have so far provided no further details.
At a news briefing on Sunday evening, police said there could be more injured people than the 15 they already knew about, who had taken themselves to hospital.
The first emergency call was made to police at 5.40 am Sunday in the provincial capital Regina.
This was quickly followed by many more calls for help, developing into what police described as a “rapidly unfolding event”.
The suspects were last seen by members of the public in Regina at about lunchtime on Sunday, and maybe traveling in a black Nissan Rogue, the BBC quoted Officer Blackmore as saying.
“They are considered armed and dangerous… If you see the suspects or their vehicle, do not approach them, immediately leave the area and call 911.”
