Bernd Debusmann jr
BBC News
Report from Washington Dcreuters
Police are charged with eight counts of two-degree murder on a 30-year-old man after his car was forced into a crowd at a street festival in Vancouver, Canada.
The attack at the annual Lapu Lapu event celebrating Filipino culture left 11 deaths and dozens of injuries.
Work to identify some of the victims continued Sunday evening, and investigators said Kaiji Adam Le, a resident of the suspect’s city, is likely to be charged with further murder.
The festival organizers said the city’s close Filipino community is “sadness” and the impact of the attack will be felt for years to come.
Previously, police said the victims’ age ranged from 5 to 65. Their identity has not been revealed.
Investigators have not yet revealed the motive for the attack, but said they do not believe it was a terrorist act.
The suspect is known to the police and has a history of mental health issues.
The attack took place on 20:14 local time (03:14 GMT) on Saturday at East 43rd Avenue and Fraser south of Vancouver.
On Sunday, people began to lay flowers and pay respects.
One woman doubled her sob before walking. Another woman named Donna said she had lived in the neighborhood for over 50 years.
She said she was at the festival and was packed with young people and families.
“People were here and blessed and enjoyed themselves,” she told the BBC. “This is tragic.”
At a press conference the next day, RJ Aquino, head of the Philippines’ BC organization, said, “Last night was extremely difficult and the community has been feeling this for a long time.”
“We have a lot of questions coming up and we don’t have all the answers, but we want to tell everyone that we’re sad,” he added.
Aquino said the attack caused considerable confusion and confusion in the city’s close Filipino community, and many residents called to call each other to check on their loved ones.
“I don’t think my phone is so busy in my life,” he said. “When someone answered, there was a lot of panic.
Reuters
Community members began to lay flowers near the scene on Sunday
In another news briefing on Sunday, Vancouver Police Chief Steve Lye said it was the “darkest day” in the city’s history.
He said “dozens” of people were injured in the attack.
“The number of deaths could rise in the coming days or weeks,” he told reporters, adding that men, women and young people were among the victims.
The LO was detained by police after being detained on the sidelines at the scene.
Although Rai refused to identify potential motives, he said, “We can confidently say that the evidence in this case is not led to believe that this is an act of terrorism.”
The suspect added that he has “an important history of interactions with police and medical professionals related to mental health.”
The Vancouver festival – home to over 140,000 Canadians of Filipino descent – is held annually to commemorate Lapu Lapu, a national hero who resisted Spanish colonization in the 1500s.
Tens of thousands of people attended the event.
According to the RAI, police conducted a threat assessment before the festival, partially closing the streets behind the school where the majority of the festival takes place.
Nothing indicated a high threat level for the event, he added.
The streets where the attack took place were primarily used in food trucks and there were no barriers.
Rye said the incident would be a “basin moment” for city officials and first responders.
“Our community is sad,” says the Vancouver Festival organizer.
The attack took place just before Canada’s federal election on April 28th, with Prime Minister Mark Carney urging them to cancel a massive gathering of liberal supporters in Calgary and Richmond.
The community-focused event in Saskatoon and Edmonton was expected to continue as planned.
In a speech aired to Canadians, Carney said he was “grief and “devastated” by the attack.
His campaign said he would be visiting Vancouver on Sunday.
Main opposition candidate Pierre Polyable continued his campaign, but set up an unplanned stop at a church in Mississauga, a suburb of Toronto, to meet with members of the Filipino community.
The conservative leader who appeared with his wife, Anida Poilievre, expressed his sadness. “I wanted to be here with you in solidarity,” he told church attendees.
Meanwhile, British Columbia’s New Democrat leader David Ebby said he was “shocked and heartbroken.”
Canadian political leader Jagmeet Singh, the New Democrat, was one of those who attended the Lapu Lapu Festival on Saturday and then changed the event planned on Sunday.
He said, “It’s ‘heartbreaking’ to see such joy can be torn apart so violently.
“I saw families gather, I saw kids dancing, I saw pride in their culture, history and community,” he added.
