At least 10 people have been killed in a series of knife attacks in rural Canada. 15 injured were also taken to hospitals for treatment, said the police in the province of Saskatchewan. “We have 13 active crime scenes that we’re investigating,” said Officer Rhonda Blackmore. Police launched a manhunt for two male suspects, aged 30 and 31, in a black SUV.
Blackmore initially made no statement about a motive. “It appears that some of the victims were targeted and some were chosen at random,” Blackmore said. “It would therefore be extremely difficult to name a motive at this point.” The police expect other injuries who have gone to hospitals on their own.
Attacks on the indigenous reservation
The victims were attacked in the “James Smith Cree Nation” reserve, which has a population of around 3,400 and in the 200-inhabitant village of Weldon, which has been designated for indigenous residents, Canadian media reported. A statement from indigenous officials said the attacks may be drug-related. “This is the devastation we see when dangerous illegal drugs enter our communities,” the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations said. The group represents 74 Indigenous groups in Saskatchewan.
The first 911 call was received at 5:40 a.m., and more attacks from nearby crime scenes were reported in the minutes that followed. Shortly after 7 a.m., the police issued an initial warning to the population. Four hours later, the two suspects are said to have been seen in the provincial capital Regina, almost 300 kilometers further south.
Long range search
The police are looking for the two suspects in the province of Saskatchewan and in the adjacent provinces of Manitoba and Alberta. The area of these three provinces in central Canada is more than five times the area of Germany. “At this time we have no indication that they have traveled to another province, but since they are in a vehicle we cannot be 100% certain where they are at the moment,” Blackmore said. “The priority now is to locate them and make sure we have them in custody.”
Particular attention is paid to the provincial capital Regina with around 230,000 inhabitants. There, people were asked to stay in a safe place and not pick up hitchhikers. Additional forces were also ordered to a game in a football stadium, it said.
“The attacks in Saskatchewan today are appalling and heartbreaking,” Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on Twitter. “I think of those who have lost loved ones and those who have been hurt.”