Brother describes 66-year-old veteran killed in Saskatchewan stabbings as 'always smiling'
CBC
WARNING: This story contains distressing details.
Orlen Burns picks up a photo of his late brother, Earl Burns. There are several on the table, but this one is Orlen's favourite of the bunch.
It shows a young Earl about to compete at a rodeo — clutching the reins on a horse that's ready to try and buck him off.
"He was always smiling," said Orlen. "Always smiling, no matter what."
There was a wake for Earl on Tuesday. Family and friends ate soup and baked goods while they told stories of Earl and looked at his photos.
Earl was one of 10 people violently killed on Sept. 4 during a stabbing rampage — Saskatchewan's deadliest mass killing.
The 66-year-old veteran was from James Smith Cree Nation, where the violence started early in the morning.
Myles Sanderson, 32, the main suspect in the violent attacks on the Cree nation and nearby community of Weldon, Sask., died after going into medical distress shortly after he was arrested last Wednesday. The Saskatoon Police Service is investigating Sanderson's death and will be supervised by the Saskatchewan serious incident response team.
His brother Damien Sanderson, 31, who was also facing charges in the attacks, was found dead in a heavily grassed area of the James Smith Cree Nation two days after the violence.
Orlen says his family called him that morning to say Earl was dead.
The entire family lives in James Smith Cree Nation, so Orlen got in his truck and drove to Earl's house to check on him.
On the way, he saw a school bus in a ditch with the motor running — the same bus Earl used to bring kids to school.
Orlen says he ignored it at first and continued, but when no one answered at Earl's house, Orlen went back to check on the bus. At that point, it was around 7:30 a.m. CST.
"I went to the bus, and I could see him lying on the floor. He was already dead when I went in the bus. He was lying in his own blood" said Burns.
