Small Manitoba town remembers its own nationwide manhunt, as search for stabbings suspect continues

As police continue the search for the second suspect in the mass stabbing attacks in Saskatchewan, a Manitoba town is reflecting on what it was like when they were at the centre of a nationwide manhunt.

In 2019, the extensive search for teen murder suspects Bryer Schmegelsky and Kam McLeod captured the attention of the entire country.

The town of Gillam – about 1,000 kilometres north of Winnipeg – served as launching point for the RCMP’s search for the teens on the run, wanted in connection with the murder of three people in B.C.

ON SASKATCHEWAN STABBINGS:

• Stabbing suspect not on Saskatchewan First Nation, RCMP officers say
• ‘Too scared to go to sleep’: Weldon residents shocked, afraid as they mourn stabbing victims
• 1 suspect dead in Saskatchewan mass stabbing rampage, brother still at large

Dwayne Forman, the mayor of Gillam, says it was unlike anything he had ever seen before – and the effects, for some, are long lasting.

“There were some individuals that it negatively affected for quite a few months, if not still to this day,” said Forman.

“At no point in time did I think it was going to get to the point where it did, like how many RCMP and law enforcement came to the community, how much media was coming to the community. At no point in time initially would I ever have thought something like that was going to happen.”

FROM AUGUST 2019: Autopsies underway as community seeks answers

Forman says the heavy police presence was a relief for some residents who were concerned for their safety. But it also made the situation more frightening for others in town.

“I know a lot of people in the community right now are talking about this situation and comparing it, obviously you can draw comparisons to these two situations.”

MORE ON 2019 MANHUNT: 

• No remorse, more murders planned: RCMP on B.C. homicides that sparked national manhunt (2019)
• New documents reveal chilling details about B.C.’s teen fugitive killers (2019)
• Manitoba RCMP spent less than $800K on massive manhunt after B.C. killings (2020)

Forman says understandably people are scared given suspect Myles Sanderson is on the loose, possibly injured and wanted in connection with multiple homicides.

The mayor says Gillam is reliving some of the stress and emotions associated with the fugitive search three years ago.

The bodies of the two teens were eventually discovered along the Nelson River.

“I think in finding the bodies, they were able to get a lot of closure and feel secure once again,” said Forman.

He says for the most part, Gillam has put the manhunt behind them, however some residents are forever changed by the experience. He believes his community and Canadians will stay alert as the RCMP continue their search in Saskatchewan.

“Now that we’ve gone through it and all of Canada has gone through it, I think this guy’s face is going to be engraved in our heads and when we see him it’s going to be reported quickly,” said Forman.