A man has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder over Saturday’s Vancouver car ramming that killed 11 people at a Filipino heritage festival.
Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, a Vancouver resident, was arrested at the scene on Saturday and remains in custody, the British Columbia Prosecution Service (BCPS) said.
Lo is charged with driving a black Audi SUV into a crowd of people attending Vancouver’s Lapu Lapu Day festival.
The collision killed 11 people, between the ages of five and 65, and left dozens injured. Police have yet to release the names of the victims.
BCPS said more charges against Lo were possible.
Speaking to reporters, Police Interim Chief Steve Rai described the attack as the “darkest day in Vancouver’s history.”
He went on to add: “The person we have in custody does have a significant history of interactions with police and health care professionals related to mental health.”
Police said they are “confident” that the incident was “not an act of terrorism nor any ongoing threats to the community”.
Carayn Nulada said she pulled her granddaughter and grandson off the road, using her body to shield them from the SUV. She added that her daughter had a narrow escape.
“The car hit her arm and she fell down, but she got up, looking for us because she is scared,” Nulada said, describing children screaming and victims lying on the ground or trapped under vehicles, their faces pale.
“I saw people running and my daughter was shaking.”
Ms Nulada was at Vancouver General Hospital’s emergency room on early Sunday morning, searching for news about her brother, who was hit in the attack and suffered multiple broken bones.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is seeking re-election on Monday, said on X he was “devastated” to hear about the attack.
“I am devastated to hear about the horrific events at the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver earlier this evening,” he wrote.
“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.
“We are monitoring the situation closely, and thankful to our first responders for their swift action.”
King Charles has said he and Queen Camilla are “profoundly saddened” to hear of the attack in Vancouver, writing in a statement on X: “Our hearts and prayers go out to all those whose lives have been shattered by such a desperate tragedy and we send our deepest possible sympathy at a most agonising time for so many in Canada.”
The Lapu Lapu Day festival, which celebrates Filipino culture, was taking place in a south Vancouver neighbourhood.
The organisers of the festival, a community group called Filipino BC, wrote in a statement on Instagram: “We are still finding the words to express the deep heartbreak brought on by this senseless tragedy. We are devastated for the families and victims.”
Vancouver had more than 38,600 residents of Filipino heritage in 2021, representing 5.9% of the city’s total population, according to Statistics Canada, the agency that conducts the national census.
Lapu Lapu Day celebrates Datu Lapu-Lapu, an Indigenous chieftain who stood up to Spanish explorers who came to the Philippines in the 16th century.
The organisers of the Vancouver event, which was in its second year, said that he “represents the soul of native resistance, a powerful force that helped shape the Filipino identity in the face of colonisation.”
British Columbia Premier David Eby said the province won’t let the tragedy define the celebration. He urged people to channel their rage into helping those affected.
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