Ottawa (AFP) - Canadian police scoured Saskatchewan and neighboring provinces on Monday in a massive manhunt for two fugitives suspected of carrying out a stabbing spree that killed 10 people and wounded 15.
The killings in the James Smith Cree Nation Indigenous community and the town of Weldon in Saskatchewan are among the deadliest incidents of mass violence to ever hit the nation.
Evan Bray, police chief of provincial capital Regina, said that the two suspects may hiding out in the city -- 300 kilometers (185 miles) from the site of the attack -- after suspected sightings late Sunday.
They "are still at large, despite relentless efforts" to locate them, Bray said.
"There's a lot of grief.There's a lot of anxiety in our province and in our communities this morning," he said, vowing to continue the pursuit until the suspects are caught.
Police have released few details of the crimes, except for descriptions of the alleged attackers they say fled in a vehicle.
They have been identified as Myles and Damien Sanderson, aged 30 and 31 respectively, both with black hair and brown eyes.
'Terrified residents'
Local people in the remote area spoke of their shock and devastation.
Weldon resident Diane Shier told the daily Saskatoon Star Phoenix her neighbor, a man who lived with his adult grandson, was killed in the attack. The grandson reportedly hid in the basement and called police.
"It was about 7:30 am.My husband was in the garden.He saw police cars and an ambulance come to town.It's a little town.This is terrible, terrible.We've still got our doors locked, staying inside, not going out," she told the newspaper.
Fellow town resident Ruby Works said the killings would haunt the town.
"No one in this town is ever going to sleep again.They're going to be terrified to open their door," Works said.
Another resident, Robert Rush, said he had left his granddaughter at home to go buy a birthday cake for his wife."I gave her two guns and a bat," he said.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore told a news conference on Sunday that authorities believe "some of the victims were targeted by the suspects and others were attacked randomly."
"To speak to a motive would be extremely difficult at this point in time," she added.
No information has been released about the victims.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said he was "shocked and devastated by the horrific attacks," adding in a statement that Canadians are mourning this "tragic violence."
13 crime scenes
Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations Chief Bobby Cameron lamented "the unspeakable violence that claimed the lives of innocent people."
In a statement, he blamed "harmful illegal drugs (that) invade our communities" for the destruction.
Blackmore said "maximum" police resources were being deployed for the search for the suspects across Saskatchewan and neighboring Alberta and Manitoba provinces.
Thirteen crime scenes in the Indigenous community and Weldon were being combed for clues as the manhunt across a huge region was underway.
Regina city was packed with sports fans who descended on the city for a sold-out annual Labour Day match between the Canadian Football League's Saskatchewan Roughriders and Winnipeg Blue Bombers.
In recent years, Canada has witnessed a rampaging gunman masquerading as a policeman kill 22 people in Nova Scotia, another kill six and wound five worshippers at a Quebec City mosque, and a driver of a van kill 11 pedestrians in Toronto.
"There are no words to adequately describe the pain and loss caused by this senseless violence," said Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe after Sunday's attack.
