Updated Sep 7, 2022 - World

Canada mass stabbings suspect dies in custody, police say

Axios

Royal Canadian Mounted Police forensics officers speak outside the crime scene where stabbing victim Wes Petterson was found, in Weldon, Saskatchewan, Canada, on September 7. — Royal Canadian Mounted Police forensics officers speak on Wednesday outside a crime scene where the body of a stabbing victim was found in Weldon, Saskatchewan, Canada. Photo: Lars Hagberg/AFP via Getty Images

Canadian police said the second suspect in the stabbing deaths of 10 people in the province of Saskatchewan died in custody on Wednesday.

The latest: Royal Canadian Mounted Police commissioner Rhonda Blackmore said at a briefing that Myles Sanderson went into "medical distress" following his arrest on Wednesday afternoon and was taken to a local hospital, where he died.

Blackmore said she couldn't "speak to the specific manner of death," but "all life-saving measures that we are capable of were taken at that time."

Driving the news: Sanderson was located near the town of Rosthern in Saskatchewan province about 3:30pm local time, according to a statement from the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

The big picture: Police suspect Sanderson and his brother Damien Sanderson killed 10 people and wounded 18 others in a string of attacks across an Indigenous reserve and in the nearby town of Weldon.

Wednesday's announcement comes days after Damien Sanderson was found dead on the James Smith Cree Nation.
He had "visible injuries," which were "not believed to be self-inflicted," Blackmore said at a briefing on Monday.

What they're saying: "Now that Myles is deceased we may never have an understanding of that motivation," Blackmore said, but added: "This evening our province breathing a collective sigh of relief."

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

Add Axios on Google

Canada mass stabbings suspect dies in custody, police say

What to read next