The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has reported that Myles Sanderson, who was on the run following a stabbing spree in Saskatchewan, has died shortly after being arrested yesterday.
This follows the death of his brother, Damien Sanderson, on Monday. Both were the only suspects in the attacks which left ten people dead and 19 injured, some critically.
On Wednesday, September 7, 2022, 2:07 p.m., Wakaw RCMP received a 911 report of a break-and-enter in progress in the Wakaw detachment area. Further information provided stated Myles Sanderson was standing outside of a residence, northeast of Wakaw, and was armed with a knife. Sanderson stole a white Chevrolet Avalanche truck with Saskatchewan license plate 953-LPL and fled the property. The homeowner was not injured.
Saskatchewan RCMP continued to receive additional reports of Myles traveling in a vehicle. All available police resources in that region immediately responded to the report, including neighboring RCMP detachments and aircraft.
At 2:49 p.m., an emergency alert was issued to help ensure the safety of residents in the Wakaw region and travelers on the highway.
Between 2:49 and 3:35, Saskatchewan RCMP received more than 20 calls from the public with potential sightings of the white Chevrolet Avalanche. The white Chevy truck was seen by a Rosthern RCMP officer driving in an unmarked vehicle, traveling west along highway 1 toward Rosthern at a speed recorded at 150 km/h. Police confirmed the license plate matched the initial report. At approximately 3:30 p.m., the suspect vehicle was seen traveling south on Highway 11, south of Rosthern. To ensure the safety of drivers on the highway, the vehicle was directed off the road into a nearby ditch.
Police officers surrounded the vehicle and through verbal identification, confirmed the identity of the driver to be Myles Sanderson. He was arrested by police and taken into custody. A knife was located inside the vehicle.
The emergency alert was canceled at 3:50 p.m. once identity was confirmed and Sanderson was taken into police custody.
Shortly after his arrest, Myles Sanderson went into medical distress. Nearby emergency services were called by police to attend the scene and Sanderson was transported to a hospital in Saskatoon. He was pronounced deceased at the hospital.
The Saskatchewan RCMP has requested the Saskatoon Police Service and the Saskatchewan Incident Response Team conduct the independent, external investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident. The Saskatchewan RCMP has requested the Ministry of Justice appoint an independent investigation observer.
Questions are likely to be asked as to why Myles Sanderson was released early from prison while serving a four-year sentence for several violent crimes. “I want to know the reasons behind the [parole] decision,” Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino told the media on Wednesday. “I’m extremely concerned by what occurred here.”
Saskatchewan RCMP continues to investigate this tragedy and a police presence will continue in the James Smith Cree Nation and Weldon communities for the near future.
Read the statement at Royal Canadian Mounted Police
