Sask. stabbing rampage victim says she feels 'blessed' to be alive

Kinistino, Sask. -

A 26-year-old woman injured in a stabbing rampage on James Smith Cree Nation says she doesn’t know why she was attacked.

“Right when I saw him with that knife, I was just trying to get away from him right away,” said Galynn Burns.

She says Myles Sanderson gained entry to Brian and Bonnie Goodvoice-Burns house through a basement window. Once inside, he started stabbing people — including Galynn .

“I ran away from him and he chased me,” she said.

Burns says Sanderson first stabbed her in the abdomen but she was able to turn away from him and crouch underneath a table. She then used her forearms to protect herself but was stabbed several times as she tried to block his blows.

“I had my arm up and he was pretty much trying to stab wherever.”

Bonnie Burns and her son Greg were fatally attacked at the house. Gloria Burns was a first responder and relative. She came to the house to help and was stabbed and killed.

“I saw everything that happened in that house,” Burns said.

“He was going after whoever was in his way I guess.”

Burns called her sister who was looking after her children because she thought she might die from her injuries like the others.

“I was more or less saying goodbye to my kids.”

Burns says the attack has left her with “flashbacks”. She says she’s still trying to process what happened and says counsellors have told her that she has PTSD.

“I can’t really remember because it happened so fast.”

The Sept. 4 mass stabbing left 10 dead and 18 injured. The suspects, brothers Myles and Damien Sanderson are both dead.

Damien's body was found in a grassy area on James Smith Cree Nation on Sept. 5. Police do not believe his fatal injuries were self-inflicted.

Myles Sanderson died in police custody after going into medical distress shortly after his arrest on Sept. 7.

Burns says, despite the death of the man she says attacked her, she still has trouble sleeping and has to check that all of the windows and doors are shut and locked before she goes to bed at night. 

Burns' parents and boyfriend have been staying with her to help ease her fears.

“I’m not ready to be alone,” she said. “It’s like a daily thing I think about."

Burns was in hospital for five days. Doctors told her a nerve in her arm was severed by the knife. She’s lost all movement in her right, dominant hand and has to wear a hand brace.

She’s taking physiotherapy to try to regain movement in her fingers.

“My biggest fear is that this could be a lifelong disability and I’m hoping to fully recover and get back to my daily activities as a mom,” she said.

Galynn is a mother of four children, ranging in age from ten to one.

She says she knows of other people like her boyfriend's brother who was stabbed and spent several days in intensive care.

“I just picture myself fully recovering and going back to school.”

She says she is fortunate she lives off-reserve so she won’t have to drive by the house where it happened.

“I’m blessed to be here today. Especially for my kids too. They are probably the reason why I’m here today,” she said.