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Just hours after he was captured after a four-day manhunt, Global News is reporting Myles Sanderson is dead.
The reports say the murder suspect died from “self-inflicted injuries” after police arrested him Wednesday afternoon on Highway 11 south of Rosthern.
Multiple police sources had indicated they did not believe he would allow himself to be taken alive before he was located. Law enforcement sources were concerned he may be looking for firearms.
— Mercedes Stephenson (@MercedesGlobal) September 8, 2022
A media conference is to be held Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at RCMP headquarters in Regina.
The RCMP arrested Sanderson on Wednesday afternoon, shortly after issuing an emergency alert saying he had been spotted in a stolen vehicle in the Wakaw area.
The Mounties tweeted Sanderson had been captured near Rosthern at about 3:30 p.m., after RCMP vehicles forced his vehicle off the highway.
Sanderson is the suspect in the murders of 10 people Sunday — nine on the James Smith Cree Nation and one in the nearby community of Weldon. There also were 17 people hurt; 10 of them remain in hospital, with two in critical condition.
He had been on the run since those killings.
CANCELLED: Dangerous Persons Alert issued by Melfort RCMP: Myles Sanderson was located and taken into police custody near Rosthern, SK at approximately 3:30 p.m. today. There is no longer a risk to public safety relating to this investigation. Updates to come. ^km
— RCMP Saskatchewan (@RCMPSK) September 7, 2022
A video posted to Facebook by Jordan Brandon showed the arrest happening at the side of Highway 11.
WARNING: The video contains strong language.
Got the white avalanche!
Posted by Jordan Brandon on Wednesday, September 7, 2022
A Twitter user named Russ Diabo posted a picture of the arrest.
Myles Sanderson arrested! pic.twitter.com/BHseiWYFX5
— Russ Diabo (@RussDiabo) September 7, 2022
Eric Willie told 650 CKOM/980 CJME he was leaving Rosthern when he saw police vehicles heading south towards Saskatoon. Shortly after that, he came across the vehicles scattered across the road.
“It appears that they’d pushed a fellow in a white SUV or pickup truck into the ditch,” Willie said. “(There were) lots of skidmarks on the highway.
“As I was passing by, they hauled the fellow out of the car, had him in handcuffs and he appeared to be chuckling, which is beyond my comprehension.”
Willie said some police officers had their guns drawn while others were dealing with Sanderson. Willie said none of the officers appeared to be hurt, but he thought they were hearing about the incident from the suspect.
“I saw him laughing, like he was probably giving the police a hard time for catching him or whatever,” Willie said. “He was probably having his two cents worth of laughing and joking and maybe thinking — I don’t know what he’s thinking when you’re laughing being arrested after hurting so many people and killing people.”
Willie said he saw the emergency alert when it came down and told his daughter to lock her doors and stay inside. He wondered as he hit the road if he’d cross paths with Sanderson.
“When I was going to Saskatoon, I thought, ‘I’m wondering if this guy is going to come and I’m actually going to see him,’ ” Willie said. “Oh my gosh, I saw it all right in front of my eyes. I’m glad it’s finally over.”
An update emergency alert was issued Wednesday at about 2:50 p.m., about a person armed with a knife travelling in a stolen vehicle in the Wakaw area.
The alert said “unknown persons (were) involved,” but added the incident may have been related to the Melfort dangerous persons alert that was issued Sunday.
The RCMP said the individual was driving a 2008 white Chevy Avalanche that was stolen out of Wakaw around 2:10 p.m.
The alert advised people in the Wakaw area to seek shelter or shelter in place, to use caution allowing others into their homes, to not approach suspicious people, and to not pick up hitchhikers.
Sanderson, 32, was taken into custody about 40 minutes later.
Police officers from across Saskatchewan and the prairie provinces had been searching for Sanderson since Sunday’s rampage.
He was charged with three counts of first-degree murder and one count each of attempted murder and break and enter.
His brother, Damien Sanderson, also was charged in connection with the attacks, but his body was found Monday on the James Smith Cree Nation.
The focus of the search shifted to Regina on Sunday after police got a tip that the vehicle in which Sanderson was thought to be travelling was seen in the Queen City. But investigators didn’t find any trace of Sanderson in the city.
The RCMP descended on the James Smith Cree Nation on Tuesday after receiving a report of a possible sighting of Sanderson, but aerial and ground searches didn’t find him.
A day later, police tracked down the man alleged to be responsible for the worst mass murder in Saskatchewan history.
More to come.
