Canadian authorities have urged people in the James Smith Cree Nation indigenous community to stay in their homes after a reported sighting of a mass stabbing suspect.
The attacks in the community and the nearby town of Weldon in Saskatchewan province left 10 people dead 18 others injured on Sunday.
CBC News in Canada reported a heavy police presence on the indigenous reserve, about 320 km (200 miles) south of the provincial capital of Regina, as the manhunt for the suspect entered its third day.
But hours later, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) said investigators had determined that the suspect, Myles Sanderson, 30, was “not located in the community” of the reserve and that authorities were continuing to search for him.
Hundreds of police officers began an extensive manhunt for suspects Sanderson and his brother Damien Sanderson, 31, after the stabbings.
Damien was found dead in a grassy area of James Smith Cree Nation on Monday.
Police have said Sanderson remains on the loose and is considered to be armed and dangerous.
Officers said they were investigating whether Sanderson may have killed his brother, and could have sustained injuries that might cause him to seek medical attention.
The RCMP urged people in James Smith Cree Nation to stay in their homes on Tuesday as it responded to the possible sighting of him.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urged residents to listen to local authorities and said: “We need to make sure that everyone stays safe.
“All Canadians stand with the people of Saskatchewan at this time.”
The stabbing rampage on Sunday was one of the deadliest attacks in Canada’s modern history.
Police said some of the victims appeared to have been deliberately targeted while others were attacked at random.
Officers have not revealed a possible motive, but a statement from an indigenous group suggested the stabbings could be drug-related.
Leaders from a group representing indigenous people in Saskatchewan said the stabbings have caused “immeasurable stress and panic”.
They have also pleaded for members of the public to come forward with relevant information.
Ivor Wayne Burns, a resident of the James Smith Cree Nation, said the Sanderson brothers belonged to the indigenous community and were under the influence of drugs at the time of the attacks.
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Sanderson has been wanted by police since May, when he stopped meeting his parole officer after serving a sentence for assault, robbery, mischief and uttering threats, CBC News in Canada reported.
He reportedly has 59 convictions for crimes committed over two decades, citing Parole Board of Canada documents.
There were few details about the victims, which included men and women spanning a wide range of ages.
People from the area said a mother of two, a 77-year-old widower and a first responder were among the victims.
Since Sunday’s violence, at least two shootings were reported in Saskatchewan, neither believed to be connected to the stabbings.