Vancouver assault newest: Suspect named and charged with homicide after 11 killed in car-ramming assault
A man has been charged with murder over the car-ramming attack at a festival in Vancouver that killed 11 people, including a five-year-old.
At least 20 other people were injured after a car ploughed into a crowd at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival at 8pm on Saturday.
Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder, according to the Vancouver Police Department. More charges are expected, officials said.
Earlier, the city’s interim police chief Steve Rai said the man arrested over the incident was known to law enforcement and mental health professionals before the incident.
Mr Rai said the man in custody had “a significant history of interactions with police and healthcare professionals related to mental health” as police remained confident the incident was not an act of terrorism.
He called the incident the “darkest day in Vancouver’s history” and said it would be a “watershed moment” for operational changes in the city’s police department.
Canada’s prime minister Mark Carney said the nation was left “shocked, devastated and heartbroken” and cancelled final rallies in Calgary, Richmond and British Columbia ahead of the federal election on Monday.
Witness saw SUV driving ‘recklessly’ before Vancouver tragedy
An eyewitness says he saw a black SUV “driving recklessly” through Vancouver minutes before it ploughed into crowds at a Filipino festival, killingn 11 people and injuring many more.
Vancouver resident Colton told local radio station 730 CKNW run by Global News on Sunday that he saw the driver driving “too fast” through his neighbourhood.
“He was speeding down our side street and then turning onto our street, 43rd Avenue. And then, you know, I thought he was just a bad driver,” said Colton, whose surname was not published by the outlet.
He then saw the SUV make a u-turn and walked past the vehicle, but a minute or two later the car sped past, into the road closed to vehicles for the festival.
“There were so many people that were still walking on the street and just enjoying the evening,” he said.
Nearly 20 in hospital, some critical
Following the attack at the festival on Saturday evening, 32 patients were taken to hospital, including the 11 who died, the British Columbia Ministry of Health said.
The ministry confirmed with the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation on Sunday that 17 patients remained in hospital, including some in a serious condition and others in a critical condition.
Some of the patients were receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries, the ministry said.
Philippine president shares ‘grief and anguish’ with Vancouver
Philippine president Bongbong Marcos has shared his condolences with the victims of a car ramming attack, which occurred during a Filipino festival in Vancouver on Saturday.
“On a day meant to honour the courage of Lapu-Lapu, our kababayans [compatriots] in Vancouver became victims of an unspeakable tragedy,” he said in a statement.
“As your President, and as a father, I share in your grief and your anguish. The lives lost will not be forgotten.”
Mr Marcos said the Filipino people stood together “in mourning, prayer, and in unwavering support”.
“We will do everything in our power to bring comfort, to bring help, and to honour their memory with action,” he said.
What we know about the attack so far
During a Lapu-Lapu Filipino festival in Vancouver on the weekend, a black SUV ploughed into the crowd killing 11 people and injuring dozens more. Here’s what we know so far.
- Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, was charged on Sunday afternoon with eight counts of second-degree murder. Vancouver police said more charges were possible.
- Eleven people were killed, and victims range in age from five to 65, police said, with not all victims identified yet.
- Vancouver police say the number of dead could rise in coming days and weeks, with some of the more than 20 injured people in a critical condition.
- Investigators ruled out terrorism as a motive, saying Lo had “a significant history” of interactions with police and mental health professionals
- Police chief Steve Rai said it was the “darkest day in Vancouver’s history”.
- The attack comes as Canadians head to the polls on Monday.
In case you missed it: Canadian PM says families are living a nightmare following attack
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said families of the victims were “living every family’s nightmare” following the car-ramming attack.
Why suspect’s alleged mental health issues won’t affect the investigation
Kai-Ji Adam Lo has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder, after 11 people were killed and dozens more injured when a black SUV struck crowds at a festival in Vancouver on the weekend.
Investigators on Sunday said the incident was not terror-related, and interim police chief Steve Rai said Lo had a history of mental health issues and contact with police.
A former police chief and British Columbia solicitor, Kash Heed said investigators would treat it like any other murder investigation, regardless of the suspect’s mental health.
“Whether he is going through a mental health crisis or something else should not certainly take away from the fact that 11 homicides were committed here,” he told the Vancouver Sun.
Mr Heed said it was wise for police to announce that it was not a terror attack as soon as they had established that fact.
“I think we as a society will always default to terrorism when a tragedy of this magnitude happens,” he said.
Watch: flowers laid in makeshift memorial to Vancouver victims
A makeshift memorial quickly sprang up near the scene of a car ramming incident that killed 11 and injured dozens more during a Filipino community festival in Vancouver.
Voting opens in Canadian election
Polling booths have opened across eastern Canada as the country reels from the tragic attack in Vancouver.
Voters are also choosing between current Prime Minister Mark Carney and opposition leader Pierre Poilievre in the shadow of US President Donald Trump’s increasing tariffs on Canada.
What do the charges against alleged attacker mean?
Vancouver Police charged 30-year-old Kai-Ji Adam Lo with eight counts of second-degree murder.
Second-degree murder is broadly defined as a deliberate but unplanned killing, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
The minimum sentence for second-degree murder is life in prison, according to Canada’s criminal code.
According to Canada’s justice department, those convicted of second-degree murder cannot be eligible for parole until they have served between 10-25 years of their sentence.
Source: independent.co.uk
