On Saturday April 26 at around 8:14pm, a man driving an SUV plowed into a crowd of people at a neighborhood cultural festival event in Vancouver, Canada.
The event was a Filipino community festival. Several people have died and many more were injured as a result of the car ramming attack.
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At least 11 people were killed
The attack where a man drove into a crowd at the annual Filipino community festival – known as The Lapu Lapu Day festival – happened on East 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street in Vancouver.
According to The Independent, at least 11 people aged between 5 and 65 were killed in the attack and at least 20 others suffered injuries.
The police confirmed the attack
In a social media post, Vancouver Police Department confirmed the attack, writing, “A number of people have been killed and multiple others are injured after a driver drove into a crowd at a street festival at E. 41st Avenue and Fraser shortly after 8 p.m. tonight. The driver is in custody. We will provide more information as the investigation unfolds.”
Witnesses said he drove ‘through the crowd’
BBC News reported that witnesses at the festival have said that the man drove “completely straight, right through the crowd.”
Yoseb Vardeh, co-owner of the Bao Buns food truck who witnessed the incident, suspected the man had been driving at 100km/h (62mph).
The festival had thousands in attendance
“I think he was going for maximum damage,” the food truck co-owner said. “I just saw bodies underneath people’s food trucks, and husbands crying out for their wife, or their kids, it was just horrible.”
The exact number of people at the time of the incident isn’t known but according to Canadian media, the street party drew up to 100,000 people throughout the day.
A 30-year-old man has been charged
The suspected driver was initially detained by bystanders before police arrived.
As reported by The Independent, police have charged 30-year-old Kai-Ji Adam Lo, who is now in custody, with eight counts of second-degree murder, with more charges expected.
He had prior interactions with law enforcement
According to the outlet, police have said Kai-Ji Adam Lo has had prior interactions with law enforcement and mental health professionals, but the incident is not considered terrorism.
It’s also reported that he was a resident of the area.
Prime Minister Mark Carney addressed the attack
Newly-elected Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has addressed the horrifying attack, writing on Twitter/X, “I am devastated to hear about the horrific events at the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver earlier this evening.”
“I offer my deepest condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured, to the Filipino Canadian community, and to everyone in Vancouver. We are all mourning with you,” he said, before adding that he was monitoring the situation.
A vigil was held in the city
A candlelit vigil was held in Vancouver church to mourn the victims of the car ramming attack on Saturday.
While the suspect remains in custody as he faces 8 charges of second-degree murder and more charges expected, Vancouver mayor, Ken Sim, expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. He also said that mental health appears to be the “underlying issue.”
