Man charged with second-degree murder in Pleasant Hill shooting

A 24-year-old man has been charged with second-degree murder in connection with the shooting death of a man Wednesday near Pleasant Hill Community School in Saskatoon.

The suspect, Shane Thomas, was arrested shortly after Saskatoon police issued a release featuring a video of a man running from the scene of the killing.

In a media release Thursday, police identified 35-year-old Damien Sanderson as the victim. It’s Saskatoon’s sixth homicide of 2023.

Early Wednesday, police said they were conducting a police operation that resulted in a school in the neighbourhood being closed. They didn’t identify the facility, but Pleasant Hill Community School is in that area.

At around 9:45 a.m., a dangerous person alert was issued on behalf of the Saskatchewan RCMP as it searched for two suspects — a man and a woman — who had been seen driving away from the area of the killing. The alert was cancelled after just 15 minutes following the couple’s arrest on the Beardy’s and Okemasis’ First Nation.

In the release Thursday, Saskatoon police said the couple wasn’t involved in the shooting. However, the 39-year-old man was charged with evading police, dangerous driving, unlawful confinement, possession of stolen property, and possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl.

The 20-year-old woman was released without charges.

Police also said Wednesday that 15 people had been taken into custody at a house on Avenue W South, but the update Thursday said no charges had been laid against any of those people in connection with the homicide investigation.

The release said officers searched three houses as part of the murder investigation — one each in the 200 block of Avenue S South, 200 block of Avenue W South and 300 block of Avenue U South. Police said they seized four guns, one replica firearm, two bulletproof vests and ammunition in those searches.