Ten dead and 17 injured in knife attacks in Canada

What happened?

At least ten people have been killed in a series of knife attacks in central Canada. 15 injured were also taken to hospitals for treatment, said the police in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan at a press conference on Sunday. Further details on the condition of the victims were not given. The two alleged perpetrators are on the run. They were last seen in an SUV, according to authorities. The motive for the cruel act was initially unclear.

Where did the attacks happen?

The victims were attacked in two locations in Saskatchewan — at the James Smith Cree Nation reservation designated for indigenous people and in the village of Weldon, said Royal Canadian Mounted Police Deputy Saskatchewan Police Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore.

The first emergency call was received at 5:40 a.m. in the morning, and further 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.

Who are the victims?

According to eyewitness accounts and initial police investigations, it appears some of the victims were targeted and some were chosen at random by the perpetrators, Blackmore said. “It would therefore be extremely difficult at this point in time to conclude that there was a background to the crime.”

There are 13 active crime scenes being investigated. “So at some of these crime scenes there might not have been a deceased person, but rather injured people who weren’t deceased,” Blackmore said. Further victims could not be ruled out because it was unclear whether all those affected had reported to the authorities.

Is there any evidence of a motive?

For the time being, the police could not provide any information on a motive for the attacks. A statement from tribal leaders suggests the attack may have been drug-related. “This is the devastation we see when harmful illicit drugs enter our communities,” wrote the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations. The group represents 74 First Nations in rural Saskatchewan.

Where are the suspects?

Police are looking for the two male suspects, aged 31 and 30, in Saskatchewan and the neighboring provinces of Manitoba and Alberta. The area of ​​these three provinces in the middle of Canada is more than five times the area of ​​Germany. Saskatchewan alone is almost twice the size of Germany, but very sparsely populated with just under 1.2 million inhabitants.

“At this time we have no indication that they have traveled to any other province,” Blackmore said. Particular attention is paid to the provincial capital Regina with around 230,000 inhabitants. There, people were asked to stay in a safe place, not to pick up hitchhikers and to report suspicious people. “If you are in a safe place, do not leave it and be careful about letting other people into your home,” it said. Additional emergency services were also ordered to a game in a football stadium on Sunday evening.

How did Trudeau react?

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed his shock on Sunday. “The attacks in Saskatchewan are horrific and heartbreaking. My thoughts are with those who have lost loved ones and those who have been hurt,” Trudeau wrote on Twitter. “We are closely monitoring the situation and ask everyone to follow the latest information from the local authorities. I would like to thank all the brave helpers for their commitment on site.»

Canadian Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino said the Saskatchewan Police Department is using all available resources to locate the two suspects and will keep the public informed of further developments.

The provincial prime minister also expressed his condolences on Twitter on behalf of his government. “All of Saskatchewan mourns with the victims and their families,” wrote Scott Moe of the Conservative Saskatchewan Party in a statement.

with agencies