Suspect in deadly Canada stabbings has long criminal record

As a Canadian Indigenous community comes to grips with a deadly stabbing rampage by two of its own, many blamed rampant drug and alcohol use on the reserve that they linked to repeated failures by the government over many years.

One of the alleged attackers, Myles Sanderson, has 59 criminal convictions, according to parole documents.

He’d been serving a sentence of four years and four months on charges that included assault with a weapon, assault on a peace officer and robbery when he was released.

Public Safety Minister Mendicino said he’s been told by the parole board there will be an investigation into its assessment of Myles Sanderson.

“I want the know the reasons behind the decision” to release him, he said. “I’m extremely concerned with what occurred here.” Many of his past crimes happened when he was intoxicated, and he told parole officials substance use made him out of his mind.

He had been sought for a parole violation since May.

“The drug problem and the alcohol problem on these reserves is way out of hand,” said Ivor Wayne Burns, whose sister was killed in the weekend attacks.