An 18-year-old was killed and seven others were injured in a mass stabbing in Canada.
The incident occurred at Hollow Water First Nation, a remote Indigenous community in Canada, approximately 120 miles from Winnipeg.
Officials said the suspect also died while attempting to flee. Police reported he was involved in a car crash with an RCMP officer, who was left critically injured.
According to the family of one victim, he had been asleep when he was suddenly stabbed in the torso.
Police said the woman who was killed was the sister of the suspect. The man with the knife also had a criminal history and was “known to police”.
At a news conference Thursday, RCMP officials said officers will remain on site, going “house to house” to ensure the safety of residents and to confirm there are no additional victims.
They also extended condolences to the community, calling the attack a “senseless act of violence.”
Police received the first call around 3:45 a.m. local time, just 30 minutes after a tribal security officer reported an assault in the same area.
When officers arrived, they were alerted to a second crime scene, where additional victims were discovered.
According to investigators, victims of the stabbing attack were found at both locations.
Supt. Rob Lasson of the RCMP Major Crimes Unit declined to comment on a possible motive but confirmed that all the victims were known to one another.
The suspect was later identified as 26-year-old Tyrone Simard.
After the attacks, they stole a vehicle and fled in the direction of Winnipeg. They eventually collided with an RCMP vehicle.
The officer involved, a policewoman whose name has not been released, suffered critical injuries and was taken to hospital. Officials said she is expected to make a full recovery.
Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew praised the injured police officer for stopping “a man on a rampage.”
Larry Barker, Chief of Hollow Water First Nation, also spoke at the news conference, offering condolences to the victims and their families.
One of the victims was identified as Michael Raven. His children said someone broke into his home while he was asleep and stabbed him in the lung.
Raven’s daughter said the attack has left the entire community shaken. She also said that violence is rare in Hollow Water, where they have resided for years.
The attack occurred on the third anniversary of the mass stabbing at James Smith Cree Nation in Saskatchewan, where 11 people were killed and 17 were injured.
