Reports say the murder suspect died of “self-inflicted injuries” after police arrested him Wednesday afternoon on Highway 11 south of Rosthern. Several police sources said they did not believe he would allow himself to be captured alive before being tracked down. Law enforcement sources were concerned he might be looking for firearms. — Mercedes Stephenson (@MercedesGlobal) September 8, 2022 A media conference is scheduled for Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at RCMP headquarters in Regina. RCMP arrested Sanderson Wednesday afternoon, shortly after issuing an emergency alert saying he had been spotted in a stolen vehicle in the Wakaw area. Mounties said on Twitter that Sanderson was arrested near Rosthern at about 3:30 p.m. after RCMP vehicles forced his vehicle off the highway. Sanderson is the suspect in the killings of 10 people on Sunday – nine in the James Smith Cree Nation and one in the nearby community of Weldon. There were also 17 injured. 10 of them remain in hospital, with two in critical condition. He has been on the run since those murders. CANCELED: Dangerous Person Alert issued by Melfort RCMP: Myles Sanderson was located and taken into police custody near Rostern, SK at approximately 3:30 p.m. today. There is no longer a risk to public safety related to this investigation. Updates coming. ^km — RCMP Saskatchewan (@RCMPSK) September 7, 2022 A video posted to Facebook by Jordan Brandon shows the arrest taking place on the side of the 11 Freeway. WARNING: Video contains strong language. Get the white avalanche! Posted by Jordan Brandon on Wednesday, September 7, 2022 A Twitter user named Russ Diabo posted a photo of the arrest. Miles Sanderson was 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, he came across the vehicles scattered on the road. “It looks like they had pushed a fellow in a white SUV or truck into the ditch,” Willie said. “(There were) a lot of skid marks on the highway. “As I drove past, they took the fellow out of the car, handcuffed him and he seemed to be laughing, which I can’t understand.” Wiley said some officers had their weapons drawn while others were dealing with Sanderson. Wiley said none of the officers appeared to be injured, but he thought they were hearing about the incident from the suspect. “I saw him laughing, like he was having a hard time for the police to catch him or something,” Willie said. “He was probably laughing and joking his two cents and maybe thinking — I don’t know what he’s thinking when you laugh when he was arrested after he hurt so many people and killed people.” Willie said he saw the emergency alert when he fell and told his daughter to lock her doors and stay inside. He wondered as he walked out into the street if he would have crossed paths with Sanderson. “When I was going to Saskatoon, I thought, ‘I wonder if this guy is going to come and I’m actually going to see him,’” Willie said. “My God, I saw it all before my eyes. I’m glad it’s finally over.” An updated emergency alert was issued Wednesday at approximately 2:50 p.m. regarding a person armed with a knife traveling in a stolen vehicle in the Wakaw area. The alert said “unknown persons were involved,” but added that the incident may be related to the dangerous persons alert in Melfort issued Sunday. RCMP said the person was driving a white 2008 Chevy Avalanche that was stolen from Wakaw around 2:10 p.m. The alert advised people in the Wakaw area to seek shelter or shelter in place, be careful allowing others into their homes, not approach suspicious people and not pick up hitchhikers. Sanderson, 32, was taken into custody about 40 minutes later. Police from across Saskatchewan and the prairie provinces have 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 breaking and entering. His brother, Damien Sanderson, was also charged in the attacks, but his body was found Monday on the James Smith Cree Nation. The focus of the investigation shifted to Regina on Sunday after police received a tip that the vehicle Sanderson was believed to be traveling in had been spotted in the Queen City. But investigators found no trace of Sanderson in the city. 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 failed to find him. A day later, police identified the man allegedly responsible for the worst mass killing in Saskatchewan history. More to come.
