Lapu Lapu festival: Major update after Vancouver car ramming as death toll rise to 11
The suspect drove a black Audi SUV into "hundreds" of people who were celebrating Filipino culture.
The tragic incident that unfolded at Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day Block Party on Saturday evening, claiming 11 lives and injuring dozens, was not an act of terror, police say.
Vancouver's Acting police chief, Steve Rai, told reporters that while he is not ready to determine the motive, he can confirm with confidence that it does not seem to be an act of terrorism.
The suspect drove a black Audi SUV into "hundreds" of people who were celebrating Filipino culture.
A 30-year-old Vancouver man was arrested at the scene, and the department’s Major Crime Section is overseeing the investigation, police said.
He has been taken into custody and has a significant history of interactions with police and healthcare professionals "related to mental health," Rai said.
Calling this the "darkest day in the city's history," the number of fatalities could still rise, Rai said.
Rai has emphasized that there are no known threats against the Filipino community.
The incident took place near East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street in Vancouver.
The Lapu Lapu Day Block Party is a yearly Filipino cultural festivity hosted in Vancouver's Sunset on Fraser neighbourhood.
This year's event showcased food, music, and cultural performances.
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.
Video of the aftermath shows the dead and injured along a narrow street in South Vancouver lined by food trucks. The front of the driver’s SUV is smashed in.
Rai declined to comment on the video, but said the person in custody was a “lone male” who was “known to police in certain circumstances.”
Prime Minister Mark Carney canceled his first campaign event on the final day of the election campaign ahead of Monday’s vote.
“Last night families lost a sister, a brother, a mother, father, son or a daughter. Those families are living every family’s nightmare,” Carney said, fighting back tears.
“And to them and to the many others who were injured, to the Filipino Canadian community, and to everyone in Vancouver, I would like to offer my deepest condolences," he added.