The man wanted in Canada for the fatal stabbings in the province of Saskatchewan has a violent criminal background. Canadian media report that 30-year-old Myles Sanderson has been convicted of, among other things, assault, threats, theft and assaulting a police officer.
About half of the 59 convictions involve violating or disobeying orders, CBC reports. The broadcaster relies on documents from the parole committee, which decided in February that Sanderson did not have to serve his full prison sentence for assault and theft.
The committee did not see Sanderson as a risk at the time. The decision to release him would “help protect the community” by facilitating his reintegration. According to a crime site cooperating with police, he was wanted in May for violating the terms of his release.
Police launched a major search for Sanderson and his brother Damien, 31, after they were identified as suspects in Sunday’s stabbings. Ten people were stabbed to death at 13 sites in the James Smith Cree Nation Indigenous Community and nearby Weldon. Eighteen were injured. Damien has since been found dead. Police believe his brother may have killed him.
The motive for the stabbing is unknown. According to police, some victims may have been targeted, while others were picked randomly. Not all victims have been identified yet. However, most are from the James Smith Cree Nation. Indigenous leaders believe the stabbings may be related to drug crime.