Death toll increases in Canada car crashing
(MENAFN) The death toll from a car-ramming attack at a Filipino festival in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday has risen to 11, according to local police. The suspect, 30-year-old Kai-Ji Adam Lo, has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder, with additional charges anticipated as the investigation progresses.
The incident occurred around 8:14 p.m. near East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street, just as the Lapu Lapu festival was ending and barriers were being removed. Witnesses reported that a black SUV sped into the crowd, causing widespread casualties. Bystanders managed to detain the suspect before police arrived on the scene.
The victims, ranging in age from five to 65, were treated at various hospitals across the Lower Mainland, with 17 still hospitalized, some in critical condition. The provincial Ministry of Health confirmed that 32 people were treated in total.
Lo, a Vancouver resident, reportedly has a history of mental health issues, with his family reaching out to a hospital psychiatric ward for help just hours before the attack. Police have ruled out terrorism as a motive for the incident.
Lo's brother, Alexander, was murdered in Vancouver last year, and Lo had publicly expressed his grief over the loss and his mother's suicide attempt. He appeared in court on Sunday but did not request bail, and he remains in custody. His next court appearance is scheduled for May 26.
A 24-hour assistance center has been set up at Douglas Park Community Centre for the families of the victims. The Lapu Lapu Day festival, which honors a Filipino hero who resisted Spanish colonization, was meant to celebrate Filipino culture. Organizers have vowed that the community will show "true resilience" in the wake of the tragedy.
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