Wakaw, Sask. Residents caught mid-manhunt for Myles Sanderson

The past week has been a whirlwind of emotions for many people in Wakaw, Sask., and after the four-day manhunt for Myles Sanderson ended on Wednesday, people were trying to make sense of the situation.

Sanderson was charged with first-degree murder for stabbing James Smith Cree Nation and the community of Weldon, leaving 10 dead and 18 injured.

He was arrested by RCMP near Rosthern around 3:30pm on Wednesday and later pronounced dead of suspected self-inflicted injuries.

Shortly before the police pursuit, Sanderson was reportedly spotted in the Wakaw community driving down Cemetery Road in a stolen white 2008 Chevy Avalanche.

“It’s been a lot of scary moments for everyone and a surreal moment where the center of attention itself that just committed such a heinous amount of crime is in your community and it was scary for sure,” said Chase Chevernoha, a Business owner from Wakaw.

Wakaw Mayor Mike Markowski said he remembered the moment the warning came through that Sanderson was in Wakaw.

“We also had city officials walking around town making sure there weren’t groups of children or elderly people who had never heard the news and I was told it was pretty much a ghost town,” he said .

For Carol Baldwin, a reporter with the local journalism initiative at the Wakaw Reporter, it was a scary moment when she had one thing above all else.

“The first thing that went through my mind was where my kids are,” Baldwin explained. “And then the second was to get the messages to them. Go in, lock the doors and be safe. Making sure my family is okay and they know what’s going on.”

However, now that Sanderson has passed away, the mood in town is different.

“Joy and relief. It’s finally over,” Baldwin said.

For Chevernoha, he hopes people in all communities can use this time to begin the grieving process.

“That sense of fear is somewhat alleviated at this point where we can kind of relax and not worry about closing our doors so much or that the suspect is still at large,” he said.

“It is an unfortunate moment that everyone is going to mourn and begin that grieving process and we need everyone to stand behind and support the families of the victims affected.”

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Saskatchewan stabbings: The motive could be known “forever” only to Myles Sanderson, says RCMP