Murder charges have been filed against a suspect in the Vancouver car ramming attack
The British Columbia prosecution service has charged Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, with eight counts of second degree murder and said more charges were possible, according to the Associated Press.
Police said the suspect has a history of mental health issues.
The man was arrested after a black Audi SUV entered the street just after 8 p.m. on Saturday and struck people attending the Lapu Lapu Day festival. Eleven people, including a five-year-old child, were killed in the attack.
Lo, a Vancouver resident, appeared in court and remains in custody, prosecutors said.
Key events
Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, has described the Vancouver attack as one that has left the country “shocked, devastated and heartbroken”.
At least 11 people have been killed and dozens injured after an SUV ploughed into a crowd at a street festival in Vancouver.
For the full report on the event, click below.
Murder charges have been filed against a suspect in the Vancouver car ramming attack
The British Columbia prosecution service has charged Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, with eight counts of second degree murder and said more charges were possible, according to the Associated Press.
Police said the suspect has a history of mental health issues.
The man was arrested after a black Audi SUV entered the street just after 8 p.m. on Saturday and struck people attending the Lapu Lapu Day festival. Eleven people, including a five-year-old child, were killed in the attack.
Lo, a Vancouver resident, appeared in court and remains in custody, prosecutors said.
More tributes from Canadian sports teams and organisations, with Canada Soccer writing in a post on social media:
“We love you, Vancouver. Today and always. Thinking of you all at this time.”
And also from the Canadian Whitecaps football team, which posted a photo of the team with the Filipino flag alongside this message:
Our hearts are with the victims, their families and Vancouver’s Filipino community.”
King Charles has also commented on the tragic event in Vancouver, in a statement posted on social media saying:
“My wife and I were profoundly saddened to learn of the dreadful attack and the utterly tragic loss of life in Vancouver, which occurred as the Filipino community gathered to celebrate one of their most cherished festivals. Our hearts and prayers go out to all those whose lives have been shattered by such a desperate tragedy, and we extend our deepest sympathy at this most agonizing time for so many in Canada. — Charles R.”
A message from Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy on the terrible attack in Vancouver, as posted on X:
“Heartbreaking tragedy at Vancouver’s Filipino festival, where a man drove a car into the crowd, killing and injuring innocent people. On this sad day, Ukrainians deeply share the pain of Canadians, Vancouver residents, and the Canadian Filipino community. Our condolences to the victims’ families, and we wish the injured a speedy recovery. Stay strong, our friends in Canada and the Philippines.”
Mourners have begun to place flowers at a growing memorial near a site the day after a driver killed multiple people during a Filipino festival.
A handwritten note for the victims.
A bouquet of flowers with the national flag of the Philippines.
“Our thoughts and prayers”.
The deadly car-ramming attack in Vancouver happened as thousands had gathered to mark Lapu Lapu Day, a celebration of a Filipino national hero who fought against Spanish colonisation.
British Columbia officially recognised 27 April as Lapu Lapu Day in 2023, with local officials noting the date was an opportunity to “learn more about the history of people in British Columbia of Filipino heritage and to celebrate their contributions to the vibrancy and prosperity of the province”.
For more on the significance of Lapu Lapu Day, our south-east Asia correspondent Rebecca Ratcliffe has written this helpful explainer.
Interim summary
Here’s a look at where things stand:
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Vancouver’s interim police chief, Steve Rai, confirmed that the 11 victims who were killed in the car-ramming attacked ranged from five to 65 years old. He went on to say that dozens more are injured, “some critically and some have not yet been identified”.
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The Vancouver school board has announced that all of its flags in its schools and offices will be flown at half-mast as a result of the attack. In a statement posted on Sunday, the school board said: “We are committed to ensuring students, their families and staff have the care and assistance needed. Also, as a mark of respect, all flags at our schools and offices will be flown at half-mast.”
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Lapu Lapu Day’s festival organizer, RJ Aquino, has released a statement following the car-ramming attack, saying: “We’ve been making sure our family, friends, volunteers, and community partners who helped make the event a success are accounted for and are OK … It’s a great concern that things are circulating that haven’t been vetted and it’s not clear who’s attempting to collect people’s information as in who is the individual that created these Google Docs … we want to ensure that we lead with transparency and accountability.”
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Mark Carney, the prime minister said, along with the rest of the country, he was “shocked, devasted and heartbroken” to hear of the news of the deadly incident in Vancouver. “Those families are living every family’s nightmare. And to them and to the many others who were injured, to the Filipino Canadian community and to everyone in the broader lower mainland – Vancouver – I would like to offer my deepest condolences and my wishes for strength and compassion in this tragic time,” he added.
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Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr said he was “completely shattered” to hear about the incident. “On behalf of the Philippine government and the Filipino people, Liza and I would like to express our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and to the strong and thriving Filipino community in Canada,” he said, referring to his wife, the first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.
Vancouver police chief: ‘We’ve got to get people help and it’s not putting more cops on the streets’
In response to a question on the rise in mental health calls and who gets to make the final decision as to what security assets get deployed at public events, Vancouver interim police chief Steve Rai said:
“When it comes to health-related issues, you don’t know who on the street walking around has an issue. You can’t be every 10ft on every block, it could be in a mall. It could be somewhere else. The question would be: how do we get to the root cause and fix it? It’s not policing the symptom. We’ve got to get to the root cause. We’ve got to get people help, and it’s not putting more cops on the street. Certainly, we’re crime fighters. We’re not healthcare fighters, so we need something at the back end, and those are other areas of responsibility, not the police.”
Echoing Rai, Vancouver mayor Ken Sim said:
“We can’t create a police state here, right? It doesn’t get to the root cause. The conversation keeps coming back to mental health. We need to take care of people that are sick, get them the care they need. It’s the only humane thing to do for those individuals. And then we start to avoid horrific events that are occurring on a regular basis, not just in Vancouver, but throughout our whole country. And that’s the conversation we have to have going forward, or this isn’t going to change.”
Describing the process that police undergo to determine how much police presence should be made available to a public event, Vancouver’s interim police chief, Steve Rai, said:
“So there is a formula where an assessment is done. It’s everything from … scanning all social media, is there anyone out there making threats on this event, is there a potential pop-up demonstration, is there somebody associated to this event that has a history with people, organizers, just a whole gamut of items.
We also look at the past history of the event. So last year, I had mentioned earlier, there were zero interactions with police at this festival. It was a family-friendly cultural celebration involving kids, and we wanted to maintain that based on that information and that threat assessment.”
Victims killed range from five to 65 years old – police
Vancouver’s interim police chief, Steve Rai, confirmed that the 11 victims who were killed in the car-ramming attacked ranged from five to 65 years old.
He went on to say that dozens more are injured, “some critically and some have not yet been identified”.
He also said that a 24-hour assistance center has been established at the Douglas Park Community Centre.
Vancouver mayor Ken Sim went on to say that the evidence “points to this not being an act of terrorism”.
He went on to add:
“He is known to police for a multitude of mental health interactions. Now it would appear that mental health appears to be the underlying issue here. And I want to be clear, if anything is to come of this tragedy, it has to be change. And I personally will not stop calling on governments to make these changes.”
Vancouver’s mayor, Ken Sim, is addressing the media, saying that he has directed a full review of “our event safety measures, including barriers, traffic control and safety protocols”.
“We have over 3,000 events and festivals per year in our city, the vast majority going happening without incident whatsoever. So I do encourage you, and I understand how people may feel, but I encourage you to keep your plans in place and enjoys. Enjoy these events,” he added.
Vancouver schools to fly flags at half-mast
The Vancouver school board has announced that all of its flags in its schools and offices will be flown at half-mast as a result of the attack.
In a statement posted on Sunday, the school board said:
We are deeply saddened by the devastating incident at the Lapu Lapu event in Vancouver. Our hearts go out to the families and loved ones of those who lost their lives, to those who were injured and to everyone who witnessed this tragic event …
We are committed to ensuring students, their families and staff have the care and assistance needed. Also, as a mark of respect, all flags at our schools and offices will be flown at half-mast …
In the face of this tragedy, we are reminded of the strength and resilience of our broader community. Together, through collective care and support, we will help our community cope and heal.
