11 dead, more than 24 injured after man rammed his SUV into Lapu Lapu Day Festival crowd
A 30-year-old Vancouver man was detained on the scene by horrified festival attendees and later arrested by the police and charged with multiple counts of murder – after ramming his vehicle into a crowd of people at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Saturday, April 26. Eleven people, aged 5 to 65, were killed, and more than two dozen others injured when the man drove his black Audi SUV into a crowd on a closed off street at a block party festival celebrating Lapu Lapu Day – hosted by the Filipino community.
According to the Vancouver Police Department, the BC Prosecution Service has now charged Kai-Ji Adam Lo with eight counts of second-degree murder. As of this writing, Lo is still in custody. Images and video of Lo were posted on X.
Police Interim Chief Steve Rai called it “the darkest day in Vancouver’s history.” There was no indication of a motive, but Rai said the suspect has “a significant history of interactions with police and health care professionals related to mental health.” ~ The Associated Press
According to The Independent, 32 attendees from the festival had to be transported to the hospital, including the 11 who perished. As of Sunday, 17 patients remained in the hospital, including some in serious condition and others in a critical condition.
Officials ask witnesses who have not yet come forward to contact the Vancouver Police Department’s Homicide Unit at 604-717-2500 and speak with investigators. Anyone with images or bystander video of the incident is asked to visit vpd.ca and upload it to an online portal so it can be reviewed by investigators.
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The Lapu Lapu Day Festival honors the legacy of Lapu-Lapu, a Filipino hero. For more on this heartbreaking and tragic story out of Canda, see the video below.
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(Source: Vancouver Police Department)
(Cover image: photo credit, X)
Posted by Richard Webster, Ace News Today
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