Headline

What To Know About Mass Stabbings In Canada

Published

3 years ago

September 6, 2022

Editor

Police in western Canada say two men went on a stabbing rampage that was one of the deadliest acts of violence to hit the country.

Here is a summary of what AFP knows about the Sunday attacks:

– What happened? –

The stabbing spree early Sunday at 13 separate locations in the remote Indigenous community of James Smith Cree Nation and the nearby town of Weldon in Canada’s Saskatchewan province left at least 10 people dead and 18 wounded.

– Who was behind the attack? –

Police identified the suspects as Myles Sanderson, aged 30, and Damien Sanderson, 31. The body of the latter was found Monday near a house that authorities have been examining on the grounds of the community.

The body had “visible injuries” that were not self-inflicted, said federal police Assistant Commissioner Rhonda Blackmore.

Myles Sanderson remained on the run.

The provincial Crime Stoppers website said he was wanted for breaching parole. Public broadcaster CBC said he had vanished in May after serving part of a five-year sentence for assault and robbery.

– What was the motive? –

Police have said it is too early to speak to a motive, while adding that “some of the victims may have been targeted and some may be random.”

“That’s still part of the investigation,” Blackmore said of the issue of motive. “That will be ongoing for quite some time. We haven’t established a motive at this point in time.”

Indigenous leaders pointed to a possible drug connection.

“This is the destruction we face when harmful illegal drugs invade our communities,” the Federation of Sovereign Indigenous Nations said.

– Who were the victims? –

Police have not identified the victims, most are from the James Smith Cree nation.

On social media, many members of the community paid tribute to loved ones killed in the stabbing rampage.

One was Lana Head, 49, who had children aged 31 and 30.

Canadian news reports said Gloria Burns, an emergency health worker, was killed after answering a call. Her parents Ivor and Darryl Burns said she was killed along with her partner and a 14-year-old.

And one resident of Weldon told a Saskatoon newspaper that her 77-year-old neighbor, Wes Petterson, who lived with his adult grandson, was killed.

– What are police doing? –

Police have issued arrest warrants for the two suspects, charging them with first-degree murder, attempted murder and breaking and entering. Further charges are expected.

Regina police chief Evan Bray said Monday his force and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police had worked through the night in a “relentless” search, after apparent sightings of the suspects in the provincial capital.

An RCMP spokeswoman said hundreds of police — some from Manitoba and Alberta — are taking part in the search across a vast region, including those from neighboring provinces.

– What has the reaction been? –

In a video address, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the attacks were shocking and heartbreaking.

“This kind of violence has no place in our country,” he said. “Sadly, over these past years, tragedies like these have become all too commonplace.”

European Union leaders and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz were among others denouncing the attack and offering condolences.

Closer to the scene, people said they were deeply traumatized.

“This is terrible, terrible,” Weldon resident Diane Shier told the daily Saskatoon Star Phoenix. “We’ve still got our doors locked, staying inside.”

– What other attacks have hit Canada? –

In recent years, a rampaging gunman masquerading as a policeman killed 22 people in Nova Scotia; six people died in a shooting at a Quebec mosque; and a man driving a van along crowded sidewalks in Toronto killed 10 people.

AFP.

Headline

Again, Russia Claims Another Village In Ukraine’s Region

Published

14 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The Russian army Monday claimed to have captured another village in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region, moving deeper into Ukrainian territory as peace efforts stall.

Russian forces are slowly but steadily gaining ground in costly battles for largely devastated areas in eastern and central Ukraine, normally with few inhabitants or intact buildings left.

Russia’s defence ministry said its forces had seized the settlement of Zaporizke in the region, which Russian troops recently advanced into for the first time in the three-and-a-half-year offensive.

Kyiv denies that Russian troops have gained a foothold in the Dnipropetrovsk region, an important industrial hub.

After another push by US President Donald Trump to broker a Ukraine-Russia summit, hopes for peace dimmed when Russia last week ruled out any immediate meeting between presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky.

The central region of Dnipropetrovsk has previously been largely spared from fighting that has ravaged swathes of eastern and southern Ukraine, until Russia said its forces broke through in July.

Dnipropetrovsk is not one of the five Ukrainian regions — Donetsk, Kherson, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Crimea — that Moscow has publicly claimed as Russian territory.

Ukraine said Russia had launched over 100 drones Monday, killing a 37-year old civilian driver and wounding two people in the northeastern Sumy region.

Moscow said Kyiv had launched about two dozen drones targeting western Russia

Headline

US Comedian Reggie Carroll Shot Dead In Mississippi

Published

14 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

A United States comedian, Reginald “Reggie” Carroll, has been shot dead in Southaven, Mississippi.

The 52-year-old Carroll, widely known as the Knockout King of Comedy, was reportedly killed on Wednesday, August 20, 2025, after sustaining multiple gunshot wounds.

The Southaven Police Department confirmed the incident in a Facebook statement on Saturday.

“Southaven officers located one male victim suffering from gunshot wounds.

“The officers and medical personnel provided life saving techniques but the individual succumbed to his injuries,” the statement partly read.

The victim was later identified as Carroll, a Baltimore native.

Police said one suspect was arrested and charged with his murder.

“One male is in custody and has been charged with the murder of Reginald Carroll.

“Our thoughts are with the family of Mr. Carroll.

“Thank you to the community for their patience and understanding,” the department added.

The police further assured that there was no ongoing threat to residents, describing the case as “an isolated shooting.”

Carroll, who built his career in stand-up comedy, gained national recognition touring with Katt Williams and headlining his own showcase, Knockout Kings of Comedy.

He also featured in the 2000 edition of Showtime at the Apollo, appeared on the UPN sitcom The Parkers alongside Mo’Nique and Countess Vaughn, and starred in the 2022 television film Rent & Go.

In 2023, he produced the stand-up special Knockout Kings of Comedy.

The Southaven Police Department disclosed that an investigation into his death is ongoing.

Headline

US Defends New Social Media Vetting For Nigerian Visa Applicants

Published

14 hours ago

August 25, 2025

Editor

The U.S. Mission in Nigeria on Monday reaffirmed that the safety and security of the United States remain the cornerstone of its visa application and decision-making process.

The US said this following its directive last week that mandates Nigerians to disclose all social media usernames and handles used over the past five years as part of the visa application process.

US Mission said Nigerian visa applicants must provide a comprehensive list of their social media profiles on the DS-160 visa application form, and warned that omitting the information could lead to visa denials.

Reacting to the development, the Federal Government said US citizens intending to visit Nigeria will be subjected to the same measures.

“The best we can do is to carry out reciprocal action. Some people from the US might want to apply for a visa, and we will adopt the same measures,” spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, said last Monday.

However, in a statement released Monday on X, the US Mission said prospective visa applicants undergo careful vetting to maintain a safe and welcoming environment in the US.

It said, “The safety and security of the United States is at the heart of every #USVisa application and decision process.

“That’s why prospective applicants undergo careful screening to ensure a safe and welcoming environment for all.”

The Mission added, “These measures help protect American citizens and communities while supporting secure and responsible travel.”