A public inquest into the death of Myles Sanderson will be held this week at the Saskatoon Inn and Conference Centre.  A news release from the government says 32-year-old Sanderson was seen by RCMP driving on Highway 11 north of Saskatoon in a vehicle that was reported stolen. This was September 7th, 2022, three days after the mass stabbing on James Smith Cree Nation and in nearby Weldon.  Sanderson killed 11 people, including his brother Damien, and injured 17 others.

Police say Sanderson refused to stop and RCMP utilized the pursuit intervention technique which essentially forces the vehicle off the road. The news release says Sanderson exited the vehicle and while being arrested, suddenly collapsed. EMS responded, started performing lifesaving measures and transported him to the Royal University Hospital (RUH) in Saskatoon. Lifesaving efforts were continued in the RUH Emergency Department, but were unsuccessful, and he was pronounced deceased.

The Coroners Act states that the Chief Coroner shall hold an inquest into the death of a person who dies while an inmate at a jail or a correctional facility, unless the coroner is satisfied that the person’s death was due entirely to natural causes and was not preventable. The purpose of an inquest is to establish who died, when and where that person died and the medical cause and manner of death. The coroner’s jury may make recommendations to prevent similar deaths.

Coroner Robert Kennedy, K.C. will preside at the inquest.