A deadly car ramming incident at a street festival in Vancouver has resulted in the tragic deaths of 11 individuals and left dozens more injured, as local authorities charge a 30-year-old man with eight counts of second-degree murder. T
he attack took place on Saturday evening during the annual Lapu-Lapu festival, which celebrates Filipino culture in the city.
The suspect, identified as Kai-Ji Adam Lo, a Vancouver resident, was arrested at the scene by bystanders before being taken into police custody. While Lo has a known history of interactions with both law enforcement and healthcare professionals regarding mental health issues, authorities have ruled out terrorism as a motive.
Investigators are continuing their efforts to identify the victims, whose ages range from 5 to 65 years old. Police have indicated that additional charges related to the deaths may follow.
The attack occurred at approximately 8:14 p.m. local time (03:14 GMT) near East 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street in south Vancouver. Eyewitnesses recounted scenes of panic and chaos as the vehicle plowed through crowds at the festival. Abigail Andiso, a local resident, described the harrowing moments as the car drove through the street, hitting people as it sped along.
“There’s a car that went just through the whole street and just hitting everyone,” she told the Associated Press. “I saw one dead, one man on the ground… then there are more casualties, and you can see straight away there are about… maybe 20 people down, and everyone is panicking, everyone is screaming.”
The festival, which annually attracts tens of thousands of attendees, was bustling with families and young people celebrating Filipino heritage. The city’s Filipino community, which numbers over 140,000, has expressed deep grief over the tragedy. RJ Aquino, head of Filipino BC, said the attack has left the community in a state of shock. “We know that there’s a lot of questions floating about and we don’t have all the answers, but we want to tell everybody that we’re grieving,” Aquino stated at a press conference. The organization emphasized the profound emotional impact on the close-knit Filipino community.
Vancouver's acting police chief, Steve Rai, described the day as the "darkest day" in the city's history, with numerous individuals suffering severe injuries. "The number of dead could rise in the coming days or weeks," he added. Local officials confirmed that victims included men, women, and children, and many are still in critical condition.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, joined by provincial leaders, visited the site of the attack, paying respects and offering condolences. Prime Minister Mark Carney, who had just cancelled large Liberal Party events in the wake of the attack, visited the scene on Sunday, lighting a candle and standing in silence with the grieving community. Carney expressed his heartbreak, calling the incident a devastating moment for the nation.
Opposition leaders also expressed their sorrow. Pierre Polievre, leader of the Conservative Party, stopped by a church service in Mississauga to offer his condolences to the Filipino community. "I wanted to be here with you in solidarity," Polievre said, flanked by his wife Anaida Poilievre. Meanwhile, British Columbia’s NDP leader David Eby called the attack “shocking and heart-breaking.”
The Lapu-Lapu festival, held annually to commemorate the national hero who resisted Spanish colonization in the 1500s, has been a cherished tradition for Vancouver’s Filipino community. With the tragic events of Saturday night, organizers have vowed to support the victims and their families while the city grapples with the aftermath.
In the wake of the attack, police emphasized that despite conducting threat assessments ahead of the event, no significant concerns were raised about potential violence. The site of the festival, known for its food trucks and vibrant celebrations, lacked barriers or other measures typically employed for high-risk events, which may prompt a reevaluation of public safety protocols in the future.
