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2025 Vancouver car attack

Coordinates: 49°13′52″N 123°05′28″W / 49.231°N 123.091°W / 49.231; -123.091
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2025 Vancouver car attack
Fraser Street south of East 41st Avenue. Traffic is blocked off with barricades, and a crowd of police officers and members of the public can be seen in the background.
Fraser Street south of East 41st Avenue on April 27, 2025, the day after the attack
2025 Vancouver car attack is located in Vancouver City
Lapu-Lapu Day Festival
Lapu-Lapu Day Festival
2025 Vancouver car attack (Vancouver City)
LocationEast 43rd Avenue adjacent to Fraser Street[1]
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Coordinates49°13′52″N 123°05′28″W / 49.231°N 123.091°W / 49.231; -123.091
DateApril 26, 2025; 28 days ago (2025-04-26)
8:14 p.m. PDT (UTC−07:00)
Attack type
Vehicle-ramming attack
WeaponsAudi Q7 sports utility vehicle
Deaths11
Injured32+[2]
MotiveUnder investigation
AccusedKai-Ji Adam Lo
ChargesEight counts of second-degree murder

On April 26, 2025, a vehicle-ramming attack took place at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival, a public celebration of Filipino heritage in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The attack left 11 people dead and at least 32 more injured, making it the deadliest attack in Vancouver's history. Alongside the 2018 Toronto van attack, it stands as the deadliest vehicle-ramming incident in Canadian history. According to the Vancouver Police Department, the car attack was not an act of terrorism.[3][4]

Background

[edit]

Lapu-Lapu Day is a Filipino celebration named for Lapu-Lapu, a Mactan chief who fought against Spanish colonization, and commemorates the victory of the chieftain and his allies against Ferdinand Magellan and his forces at the Battle of Mactan in 1521. British Columbia officially recognized the event in 2023, and an annual festival for Filipino Canadians—who hold a strong presence in Vancouver[5]—has been held in the city since the day was recognized in the province.[6]

According to two Vancouver City Council members, the venue was not cordoned off by city dump trucks as previous city festivals had been.[1] According to VPD interim chief Steve Rai, police had conducted a security assessment of the festival with the City of Vancouver and festival organizers, determining there were no threats to the event or Filipino community, noting the previous year's festival had "zero issues."[7] The Vancouver Sun Run scheduled for the next morning proceeded with increased police presence after the Vancouver Police Department determined there was no ongoing threat to public safety.[8]

The attack occurred two days before the 2025 Canadian federal election.[9] New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh attended the festival, leaving only minutes before the attack.[10]

Attack

[edit]

The car, a black Audi Q7 SUV,[11] was speeding recklessly in the neighbourhood before turning onto the site of the attack. A minute or two before the attack, the car made a U-turn and was pulled over to the roadside as if to park.[12]

At approximately 8:14 p.m. PDT (UTC−7), the car was driven at high speed through a section of East 43rd Avenue west of Fraser Street.[13] The street had been converted into a food truck zone to serve the Lapu-Lapu Day Block Party held at the adjacent John Oliver Secondary School.[14][15] Witnesses described bodies sent flying on impact with the car, and videos showed wreckage and victims scattered across a long stretch of road after the attack.[16]

One eyewitness, Kris Pangilinan, said “the vehicle started slowly making its way past the first two or three booths...he started to pick up speed, and ... before I knew it, it went right into the crowd.”[17]

Victims

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Eleven people, ranging in age from 5 to 65, were killed and more than twenty-four others were injured, some critically.[18] Nine of those killed were female and two were male. Vancouver General Hospital received several victims[18] and announced a code orange, a mass casualty incident.[19] On the following day, the Ministry of Health confirmed that 32 people (including the 11 dead) had been hospitalized, and that 17 remained in hospital.[13] As of April 30, 10 remain hospitalized: seven injured critically and three injured seriously. One of the hospitalized victims is a 22-month-old boy while the rest are adults.[20][21]

Those killed were Maria Victoria Bjarnason (55); Jenifer Darbellay (50);[22] parents Richard Le (47) and Linh Hoang (30), and their daughter Katie Le (5); Nerissa Pagkanlungan (46); Kira Salim (34), a founder of the band Marcha Nerd; Glitza Daniela Samper (30) and her parents, Glitza María Caicedo (60) and Daniel Samper (65); and Jendhel May Sico (27).[23][24][25] Three of the victims were Filipino citizens,[26] while the Le family was Vietnamese-Canadian,[27] and the Samper family was Colombian.[28]

Aftermath

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The attack occurred in the final days of the Canadian federal election campaign. Following the attack, Mark Carney cancelled election events by the Liberal Party in Calgary and Richmond and went to the site of the attack on April 27 before meeting with relatives of the victims and participating in a church vigil. Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre made an unscheduled visit at a church in Mississauga to meet members of the Filipino community. New Democrat leader Jagmeet Singh cancelled his scheduled appearances on April 27.[29]

The roads surrounding where the attack took place, namely Fraser Street and East 43rd Avenue, remained closed in the days after.[30] A large roadside memorial was set up at the corner of Fraser Street and East 41st by John Oliver Secondary School.[31]

Government actions

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The government of British Columbia designated May 2, 2025 as an official day of remembrance and mourning. Public books of condolence were set up at Vancouver City Hall and the British Columbia Parliament Buildings.[32] Vancouver mayor Ken Sim ordered the city to review event-safety practices and called on the provincial government to take further action on mental health and increasing the amount of secure beds for the detainment and mandatory care of the severely mentally ill. Premier David Eby launched an independent commission to examine how to increase safety at public events, in part by looking to other jurisdictions' best practices for risk minimization.[33]

Accused

[edit]

The driver, Kai-Ji Adam Lo[34] (Chinese: 羅凱基),[35] a 30-year-old Taiwanese national originally from Kaohsiung[36][37] residing in Vancouver,[5] was apprehended by bystanders after attempting to flee,[38] and taken into custody by police. He is believed to have acted alone and was the sole occupant of the car.[39] The Vancouver Police confirmed that Lo has a significant history of interactions with police and healthcare professionals "related to mental health",[40] but no prior criminal record.[41] The police rejected terrorism as a motive.[42]

On January 28, 2024, Lo's 31-year-old older brother, Alexander, had been found dead in his Kensington-Cedar Cottage area home in East Vancouver. A suspect was charged with second-degree murder in connection to the killing, pleading not guilty in October 2024, with trial pending as of April 2025.[43]

Lo's mother attempted suicide a few months after Alexander's death, and remained in hospital for a month.[41]

The day before the attack, police interacted with Lo. As of April 27, the only detail about the interaction released by police was that they decided that a hospital visit was not required.[12] Hours before the attack, a family member had contacted a psychiatric ward about Lo's deteriorating mental health. He appeared to suffer from delusions and paranoia. It is currently unknown whether any action was taken.[41] Vancouver Coastal Health confirmed that at the time of the attack, Lo was under the care of a mental health team and on extended leave from hospital in accordance with the Mental Health Act. They also said there was no indication Lo was a public safety risk.[20]

On May 2, 2025, a judge ordered Lo to undergo a mental health assessment.[44]

Criminal proceedings

[edit]

Lo was charged with eight counts of second-degree murder under section 235 of the Criminal Code and made a court appearance for a bail hearing on April 27. Lo will remain in police custody after not requesting bail during the appearance.[41][45] Lo's next court appearance in the Provincial Court of British Columbia is scheduled for May 30.[46] Vancouver Police indicated that further charges would likely be laid in the coming days as the investigation continues to identify victims.[41]

Responses

[edit]

Numerous local and national political figures offered their condolences, including Prime Minister Mark Carney, federal Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre, federal New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh (who had attended the festival earlier in the day),[19] Governor General Mary Simon,[39] British Columbia premier David Eby, Vancouver mayor Ken Sim,[11][19] federal Green Party co-leader Elizabeth May,[39] and King Charles III.[47] Vancouver Police Department interim chief Steve Rai described the attack as "the darkest day in our city's history".[48]

The Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver expressed sympathy.[6] In the Philippines, President Bongbong Marcos, Vice President Sara Duterte, and several senators expressed sadness and outrage over the attack as well as sympathy for the victims.[49][50][51] Professional tennis player Leylah Fernandez offered condolences to the victims saying she was "absolutely devastated to hear about the death of my fellow Canadian-Filipinos".[52] Vancouver Whitecaps FC held a moment of silence for the victims of the attack and held a Philippine flag prior to their game against Minnesota United FC on April 27.[53][unreliable source?]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b Dobie, Cayley; Chan, Cheryl; Bolan, Jim; Johnston, Patrick; Ip, Stephanie (April 26, 2025). "'Bodies everywhere': Multiple people killed, injured at Lapu Lapu Day in Vancouver". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on April 27, 2025. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  2. ^ Ip, Stephanie; Grochowski, Sarah; Ryan, Denise (April 28, 2025). "In memoriam: Family of three among the victims identified in Lapu Lapu Day tragedy". Vancouver Sun. ISSN 0832-1299. Archived from the original on April 28, 2025. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  3. ^ "Vancouver Live: Nine killed and suspect arrested after vehicle hit crowd at Lapu-Lapu street festival". Reuters. April 27, 2025. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  4. ^ "Car drives into Vancouver's Lapu Lapu street festival crowd: What we know". Al Jazeera. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  5. ^ a b Masih, Niha; Sands, Leo (April 27, 2025). "Multiple people killed, injured after vehicle runs into Vancouver crowd". The Washington Post. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  6. ^ a b Lautens, Kristjan (April 27, 2025). "Vancouver killings: Several people dead, others injured after driver goes through Filipino street festival, police say". Toronto Star. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  7. ^ Howell, Mike (April 27, 2025). "Vancouver mayor orders review of event safety measures after deadly festival attack". Coast Reporter. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  8. ^ Chan, Kenneth (April 27, 2025). "Philippines flag raised at Vancouver Sun Run start line after Lapu Lapu Day festival tragedy". Daily Hive. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  9. ^ Meenaktshi, Harshita (April 26, 2025). "Multiple dead, injured in Vancouver after vehicle plows into street festival". Reuters. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  10. ^ Johansen, Crookall; Nicholas, Sarah (April 27, 2025). "Federal NDP leader Jagmeet Singh says ending campaign in Penticton is 'a tradition'". Castanet. Archived from the original on April 28, 2025. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  11. ^ a b Judd, Amy (April 26, 2025). "Multiple killed, injured after vehicle drives into Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver". Global News. Archived from the original on April 27, 2025. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  12. ^ a b Judd, Amy (April 27, 2025). "Lapu Lapu festival tragedy: Vancouver man charged with murder". Global News. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  13. ^ a b Kulkarni, Akshay (April 27, 2025). "Vancouver man charged with 8 counts of murder in Lapu-Lapu Day festival tragedy". CBC News. Archived from the original on April 27, 2025. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  14. ^ Brennan, Lyle (April 27, 2025). "Driver Hits Crowd at Vancouver Festival, Leaving Multiple Dead". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  15. ^ "Multiple people dead after driver rams vehicle into crowd at Vancouver street festival: police". The Globe and Mail. April 26, 2025. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  16. ^ "Vancouver wakes to tragedy of nine dead in ramming attack on Filipino street festival". CTV News. April 27, 2025. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  17. ^ Charlebois, Brieanna; Chiang, Chuck; Greer, Darryl; Shen, Nono (May 4, 2025) [May 03, 2025]. "A family and a festival: How Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day tragedy unfolded". Global News. Retrieved May 15, 2025.
  18. ^ a b Chinchilla, Rudy; Romero, Dennis (April 26, 2025). "Multiple dead and injured as driver plows into Vancouver crowd, police say". NBC News. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  19. ^ a b c Kshatri, Shaurya (April 26, 2025). "Several people killed, others injured after vehicle drives into Vancouver street festival crowd". CBC News. Archived from the original on April 27, 2025. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  20. ^ a b Steacy, Lisa (April 29, 2025). "Man accused in mass killing at Vancouver Filipino festival was on leave from hospital". CTV News. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  21. ^ Coote, Darryl (April 29, 2025). "Police reveal additional details about Vancouver car-ramming victims". UPI.
  22. ^ "Calgary theatre community mourns loss of Jen Darbellay, killed in Vancouver festival tragedy: 'She really left an imprint'". Calgary Herald. Archived from the original on May 1, 2025.
  23. ^ "The terrible toll of the Lapu Lapu Day tragedy: The victims | Vancouver Sun". vancouversun.
  24. ^ Gomez, Michelle; Kulkarni, Akshey (April 28, 2025). "Father, mother, 5-year-old daughter killed in alleged attack on Vancouver festival, leaving son behind". CBC. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
  25. ^ "Eleven killed in festival attack included families, artist, visitor from Philippines". St. Albert Gazette. May 15, 2025.
  26. ^ "3 Filipinas among those killed in Lapu Lapu Day tragedy in Vancouver". Philippine Daily Inquirer. April 30, 2025.
  27. ^ O’Brien, Abby; Leon, Calvi (May 1, 2025). "'Shocked and heartbroken': Five-year-old girl, her parents and Vancouver teacher among 11 killed in Filipino street festival tragedy". Toronto Star.
  28. ^ "Colombian family among victims in deadly Vancouver Festival attack". The City Paper Bogotá. April 30, 2025.
  29. ^ "Girl, 5, among Vancouver dead as suspect charged". BBC News. April 28, 2025. Archived from the original on April 28, 2025. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  30. ^ "Lapu Lapu Day mass casualty incident". City of Vancouver. Archived from the original on April 28, 2025. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  31. ^ Grochowski, Sarah (May 1, 2025). "At Lapu Lapu roadside memorial: 'I hear the victims in my nightmares'". Vancouver Sun.
  32. ^ "B.C. marking day of mourning for victims of Lapu-Lapu Day festival tragedy". CBC. May 2, 2025.
  33. ^ Fumano, Dan (May 3, 2025). "What's the future of public events in B.C. after deadly Lapu Lapu Day attack?". Vancouver Sun. Retrieved May 5, 2025.
  34. ^ Andrew Weichel; Lisa Steacy; Kaija Jussinoja (April 27, 2025). "Suspect charged with murder in Vancouver Filipino festival attack". CP24. Archived from the original on April 27, 2025. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  35. ^ "Vancouver ramming attack suspect reportedly from Taiwan". Taiwan News. April 29, 2025.
  36. ^ "Taiwanese man charged in deadly Vancouver festival attack". TVBS. April 29, 2025.
  37. ^ "Adam Lo who faces multiple charges in Vancouver car attack is a Taiwanese national". Dimsum Daily. April 29, 2025.
  38. ^ "'A number of people' killed in Vancouver after car driven into crowd at Filipino festival". CityNews. April 26, 2025. Archived from the original on April 27, 2025. Retrieved April 26, 2025.
  39. ^ a b c "Suspect charged with eight counts of second degree murder after Vancouver car ramming". BBC News. Archived from the original on April 27, 2025. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  40. ^ "Police say death toll from car ramming at Vancouver festival has risen to 11". BBC News. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  41. ^ a b c d e Bolan, Kim (April 27, 2025). "Driver charged with murder in Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day tragedy". Vancouver Sun. Archived from the original on April 28, 2025. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  42. ^ "11 killed as a vehicle plows into a Filipino street festival in Vancouver. Police rule out terrorism". AP News. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  43. ^ Hainsworth, Jeremy (October 21, 2024). "Preliminary inquiry starts on Vancouver murder charge". New Westminster Record. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  44. ^ Morris, Jim (May 3, 2025). "Judge orders mental health assessment for man accused of killing 11 at Vancouver festival". AP News. Retrieved May 3, 2025.
  45. ^ Schmunk, Rhianna (April 27, 2025). "Vancouver festival tragedy: Suspect charged with 8 counts of murder, court records show". CBC News.
  46. ^ "Judge orders psychiatric tests to see if Vancouver festival suspect fit for trial". CTV News. May 2, 2025. Retrieved May 14, 2025.
  47. ^ Croft, Alex (April 27, 2025). "King and Queen pay tribute to victims of 'dreadful attack' after car kills nine in Vancouver". The Independent. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  48. ^ "11 confirmed dead in 'mass casualty event' at Vancouver Filipino festival". CTV News. April 27, 2025. Archived from the original on April 27, 2025. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  49. ^ Maralit, Kristina (April 27, 2025). "Marcos 'shattered' by Vancouver attack that left nine dead". The Manila Times. Retrieved April 27, 2025.
  50. ^ Antonio, Reymund (April 28, 2025). "VP Sara condemns car attack in Vancouver Filipino festival". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  51. ^ Mangalus, Jean (April 28, 2025). "'Senseless and cruel': Philippine senators decry Vancouver SUV attack". The Philippine Star. Retrieved April 28, 2025.
  52. ^ "Canadian tennis star says 'heart goes out to' victims of Vancouver attack". CTV News. April 29, 2025. Archived from the original on April 29, 2025. Retrieved April 29, 2025.
  53. ^ Quillen, Ian (April 28, 2025). "Vancouver Whitecaps honor Filipino community amid festival tragedy". MLS Multiplex.
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