Murder charges laid after Canada festival crowd ramming
Chris Helgren and Allison Lampert |
Murder charges have been filed against a suspect in a weekend car ramming attack that killed 11 people between the ages of 5 and 65 at a Filipino heritage festival in the city of Vancouver, a tragedy that shook Canada on the eve of a federal election.
The British Columbia Prosecution Service charged Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, on Sunday with eight counts of second degree murder and said more charges were possible. Investigators ruled out terrorism and said Lo had a history of mental health issues.
Lo, a Vancouver resident, appeared in court and remains in custody, prosecutors said. A lawyer for Lo wasn’t listed in online court documents and The Associated Press wasn’t immediately able to reach a lawyer representing him.
Police arrested Lo at the scene of the incident on Saturday evening, describing him as having had a “significant history” of interactions with authorities involving mental health. They said there was no evidence of terrorism.
“This is the darkest day in our city’s history,” Vancouver Interim Chief Constable Steve Rai told reporters at a Sunday press conference.
He said dozens of people were injured, some critically, and warned that the death toll could rise in coming days and weeks. As of Sunday afternoon, Rai said he did not believe there were any ongoing threats to the community.
The attack on Saturday evening took place two days before Canada’s federal election on Monday. A spokesperson for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said he would be travelling to Vancouver on Sunday.
Carney’s campaign movements were delayed on Sunday morning but he resumed campaigning after making a statement in which he expressed his condolences to the country’s Filipino community.
“Last night, families lost a sister, a brother, a mother, a father, a son or a daughter. Those families are living every family’s nightmare,” he told reporters in Hamilton, Ontario.
“I join all Canadians in mourning with you. I know that Canadians are united with you,” he said.
More than 12 hours after the incident, police still did not have a motive for the attack at the festival, which took place without a dedicated police presence or heavy vehicle barriers.
“There were no known threats to the event or to the Filipino community,” Rai said.
The suspect was initially chased down and held by festival-goers until police arrived, witnesses said. The injured were taken to multiple hospitals, police said.
The incident happened shortly after 8pm in Vancouver’s Sunset neighbourhood, an area known for its large Asian population, where the Lapu-Lapu Day Block Party, celebrating a Philippine national hero, was taking place.
While mass casualty attacks are far less common in Canada than in the United States, such incidents have occurred with some regularity north of the border.
Online images from the scene in Vancouver showed the bodies of victims on the footpath alongside a row of colourful food trucks as others attended to them on a roadway littered with debris including what appeared to be a motorised scooter.
The festival, celebrated especially in the central Philippines, honours Datu Lapu-Lapu, a Filipino chieftain who defeated Spanish forces led by Ferdinand Magellan in the Battle of Mactan in 1521.
The government of British Columbia officially recognised April 27 as Lapu-Lapu Day in 2023, acknowledging the cultural contributions of the Filipino-Canadian community, one of the largest immigrant groups in the province.
The centrepiece of the festival is a multi-block street party featuring Filipino food and traditions, live performances and cultural displays.
with AP
Reuters
