Here is a summary of the main developments today:
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The suspect in a car-ramming attack that killed 11 people and injured dozens at a Filipino heritage festival in the Canadian city of Vancouver has been charged with eight counts of second degree murder, prosecutors have said.
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More charges were possible against Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, the British Columbia prosecution service said. 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.
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On Sunday night prime minister Mark Carney attended a vigil near the scene of the attack. He also mourned with members of the Filipino community at St. Mary the Virgin South Hill Church.
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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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Carney said that along with the rest of the country he was “shocked, devastated and heartbroken” to hear of the news of the deadly incident. “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.
The vigil on Sunday evening drew a crowd so large that police in Vancouver had to move the crime scene barriers back so that people would not spill out onto the busy traffic along 41st Avenue, writes Dustin Godfrey, in his dispatch from Vancouver, about the strength of the Filipino community in the face of a devastating car attack that has killed 11 eleven people and injured dozens more.
Read the full story below.
Philippines Vice President Sara Duterte has offered her condolences following the attack, and called for those responsible to be “held fully accountable under Canadian law”.
She said in a statement:
I offer my condolences to the families and loved ones of those killed and injured in the recent incident at the Lapu-Lapu Day Celebration in Vancouver, Canada. My thoughts are with every kababayan affected by an act of violence that has no place in our shared humanity.
“I condemn this deliberate assault in the strongest possible terms. There is no justification for targeting peaceful festivalgoers, and those responsible must be held fully accountable under Canadian law.
“I thank the Canadian Government and deeply appreciate the efforts of the Philippine Embassy in Ottawa and the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver for their coordination with Canadian authorities to ensure every Filipino in need receives assistance, comfort, and clear guidance. Their commitment to our kababayan’s well-being offers immense reassurance during these challenging times.”
Prime Minister Carney has also attended a vigil near the scene of the attack
Canada’s prime minister, Mark Carney, has arrived in Vancouver, where he has joined a vigil for the victims.
The suspect in a car-ramming attack that killed 11 people and injured dozens at a Filipino heritage festival in the Canadian city of Vancouver has been charged with eight counts of second degree murder, prosecutors have said.
More charges were possible against Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, the British Columbia prosecution service said. Investigators ruled out terrorism and said Lo had a history of mental health issues.
Here is the Guardian’s latest wrap of the tragic incident.
Canada.
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.”
Source: theguardian.com
