Second fugitive suspect in Canada mass stabbing dies

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) on Wednesday evening said that the second suspect in a weekend stabbing spree in Saskatchewan province died of self-inflicted injuries. 

Earlier in the evening, police had announced that the suspect in the fatal stabbings of 10 people had been found and taken into custody.

Police said that the 32-year-old male, Myles S., was located close to the town of Rosthern following a three-day manhunt.

"There is no longer a risk to public safety relating to this investigation," the RMCP said following the arrest.

The act of violence, which targeted members of a remote Indigenous community, has left Canada in a state of shock.

How did the suspect die?

Police rammed the suspect's vehicle off the road after they received reports of a man armed with a knife driving a stolen vehicle. 

According to the Canadian news outlet Global News, the suspect then surrendered himself to the police before he was taken away in an ambulance.

RCMP Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore told reporters the suspect "went into medical distress" shortly after being detained.

"All life-saving measures that we are capable of were taken at that time," she said, but gave no extra information on the cause of his death.

"I can't speak to the specific manner of death,'' she said.

Officials, speaking anonymously, had told reporters that they believed Myles S. died of self-inflicted wounds.

The fugitive's brother, Damien S., 31, was found dead on Monday near the scene of the crime. He is also believed to have been involved in the stabbing spree.

What happened in the attack?

Police were first called to the James Smith Cree Nation on Monday morning.

The attack left 10 people dead and another 18 injured across 13 different locations in the sparsely populated area.

The reserve is home to some 3,400 people.

The local Indigenous communities declared a state of emergency as the killers were not immediately apprehended.

Police were quick to identify the suspects but took several days to track down the older brother.

The Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations has suggested that the motive for the violence may have been drug-related. Police have not given any official explanation for the motive.

'Heartbreaking' act of violence

The rampage is one of the most violent episodes in Canada's history. The country is not used to mass killings.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called the attacks "shocking and heartbreaking." 

Police said that some of the victims appeared to have been targeted whereas others may have been random.

They are also investigating whether Myles S. was responsible for the death of his brother.

Editor's note: Deutsche Welle follows the German press code, which stresses the importance of protecting the privacy of suspected criminals or victims and obliges us to refrain from revealing full names in such cases. 

ab/rc (AP, Reuters)