PH fest attack: Deaths hit 11; suspect charged
VANCOUVER—Police said on Sunday a 30-year-old resident in this city has been charged with murder for killing at least 11 people aged between 5 and 65 and injuring dozens after he rammed a sport utility vehicle (SUV) through a crowd at a Filipino community festival.
The man, Kai-Ji Adam Lo, was charged with eight counts of second-degree murder by prosecutors in British Columbia.
Vancouver police said in a post on X that “further charges are anticipated.”
Lo appeared in court on Sunday, hours after police arrested him at the scene of the incident on Saturday evening. Court documents seen by Reuters did not show a plea.
Authorities described Lo as having had a “significant history” of interactions with authorities involving mental health. They said there was no evidence of terrorism.
“This is the darkest day in our city’s history,” Vancouver Interim Chief Constable Steve Rai told reporters at a Sunday press conference.
Police said two dozen people were injured, some critically, and warned that the death toll could still rise.
According to the Philippine Embassy in Canada, the total number of injured remains “fluid.”
In an email to the Inquirer late Sunday, the embassy said the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver is working to locate and identify the victims. Police said some of them remain unidentified.
‘Stand with community’
More than 100 police officers joined the investigation, as local officials worked with provincial and federal authorities to provide support services. Messages of condolence and support came from across the globe.
“The community will feel this for a long time,” RJ Aquino, chair of community advocacy group Filipino BC, told reporters. “We want to tell everybody that we’re grieving. We want to tell everybody that we see and hear the support from around the world at this point.”
The attack on Saturday evening took place two days before Canada’s federal election on Monday. A spokesperson for Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said earlier he would be traveling to Vancouver on Sunday.
Carney’s campaign movements were delayed on Sunday morning but he resumed campaigning after making a statement in which he expressed his condolences to the country’s Filipino community.
British Columbia Premier David Eby said on Sunday afternoon at a press conference near the attack site that it was hard not to feel rage toward the man who “murdered innocent people” for reasons that were not yet known.
“I want to turn the rage that I feel into ensuring that we stand with the Filipino community, that we deliver what they need, that we stand with those families who have lost loved ones,” he told reporters.
Unsecured site
More than 12 hours after the incident, police still did not have a motive for the attack.
But according to authorities, Lo had lost a brother to “violence” last year.
The Vancouver Sun also reported that Lo’s brother, Alexander, was killed in January that year and the suspect arrested.
In August, his mother reportedly attempted suicide and was hospitalized for a month.
Vancouver’s Sunset neighborhood, where the Lapu-Lapu Day Block Party celebrating a Philippine national hero was held, is an area known for its large Asian population.
There was no dedicated police presence or heavy vehicle barriers in the area at the time of the attack at around 8 p.m.
Rai said “there were no known threats to the event or to the Filipino community.”
One witness told CTV News he saw a black vehicle driving erratically in the area of the festival just before the crowd was struck. A photo of the aftermath posted online showed a dark Audi SUV with both front fenders crumpled and the hood pushed up toward the vehicle’s windshield.
Online images from the scene in Vancouver showed the bodies of victims on the pavement alongside a row of colorful food trucks as others attended to them on a roadway littered with debris including what appeared to be a motorized scooter.
A witness who did not wish to be identified said he had seen about 15 people lying on the ground.
He said the driver tried to run but was chased down and held against a fence for about 10 minutes until police arrived.
Yoseb Vardeh, co-owner of food truck Bao Buns, said in an interview with Postmedia, “I didn’t get to see the driver, all I heard was an engine rev.”
“I got outside my food truck, I looked down the road and there’s just bodies everywhere,” said Vardeh, his voice breaking with emotion. “He went through the whole block, he went straight down the middle.”
Police said the injured were taken to multiple hospitals.
‘Everybody was happy’
The attack came at the end of the festival, following a concert headlined by Filipino-American rapper Apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas, according to Mable Elmore, a member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly, who attended the event.
“Everybody was happy and getting ready to go. And that’s when, that’s when the incident happened,” Elmore told reporters through tears.
Apl.de.Ap (born Allan Pineda Lindo) said in a statement on social media: “Our hearts are broken for the victims, their families and everyone affected by the tragedy at the Lapu-Lapu festival.”
“It’s hard to describe the shock and heaviness we feel,” he said.
The government of British Columbia officially recognized April 27 as Lapu-Lapu Day in 2023, acknowledging the cultural contributions of the Filipino-Canadian community, one of the largest immigrant groups in the province.
The centerpiece of the festival is a multi-block street party featuring Filipino food and traditions, live performances and cultural displays.
The Canadian flag will be flown at half-staff at all city buildings in Vancouver until further notice in honor of the victims, the city government led by Mayor Ken Sim said on Sunday.
Assistance, contact info
Vancouver has set up a 24-hour assistance center at the Douglas Park Community Centre, where police officers and victim services professionals have been deployed to help anyone who has not been able to contact a loved one who was at the event.
There is also a mental health hotline (310-6789), a toll-free number connecting callers to a British Columbia crisis line that offers emotional support, information on appropriate referral options, and a wide range of support relating to mental health concerns.
The Philippine Embassy said “A Family Reunification Centre has been established at the Douglas Park Community Centre in South Vancouver for those seeking information about family members who may have been affected by the incident at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival.”
The 24-hour assistance center at Douglas Park Community Centre, located at 801 West 22nd Avenue, is available to anyone who has been unable to contact a friend or family member.
A victim-liaison officer may also be reached at 604-717-3321.
The Department of Migrant Workers said families of overseas Filipino workers in Vancouver and Western Canada may contact its hotline 1348.
It also provided the following contact numbers for immediate assistance and support: +1 604 653 5858 (Assistance-to-Nationals Hotline), +1 604 767 3354 (Migrant Workers’ Office), and +1 800 563 0808 (Vancouver Police Department Victim Support).
The Philippine Consulate General also warned the public against fraudulent fundraising campaigns, saying it “has not created any fundraising efforts nor has sanctioned any entities to raise funds on behalf of the victims of the Lapu-Lapu Day incident.”
Condolences and calls for justice have been expressed by Philippine officials led by President Marcos and Vice President Sara Duterte. —WITH REPORTS FROM PNA, CONG CORRALES, DEMPSEY REYES AND TINA G. SANTOS
