Death toll in Vancouver 'car ramming attack' rises to 11 as parties recalibrate campaign plans
The death toll in the car ramming attack at a Vancouver Filipino community event Saturday evening rose to 11 and could increase further, Vancouver police said Sunday as the tragedy cast a dark shadow on the final day of the federal election campaign.
“This is the darkest day in our city’s history,” Vancouver interim police chief Steve Rai told reporters solemnly Sunday as he announced two more victims had passed that morning.
“The actions of a single person shattered our collective sense of safety. It is impossible to overstate how many lives have been impacted forever by this lone individual.”
Sunday, federal party leaders mourned the victims of the tragedy at the Lapu Lapu street festival in Vancouver on Saturday evening. In the background, their campaigns scrambled to adjust leaders’ itineraries and messaging at the last minute in response to the horrible attack.
During the morning briefing, Rai said a 30-year-old man is believed to have been the driver of a black SUV that drove eastward into a pedestrian-only area along 43rd Avenue near Fraser Street in Vancouver during Lapu Lapu Day in Vancouver.
“(The vehicle) entered a small crowd-enclosed area and drove through the crowd. There were hundreds of festivalgoers still on the street and multiple people were struck by the vehicle,” he said.
He said that many people were critically injured and warned that the death toll could rise further in coming days and weeks.
Rai said police still did not know the suspect’s motive and whether anything could have been done to prevent the attack, but confirmed that it was not believed to be an act of terrorism.
“The person that we have in custody does have a significant does have a significant history of interactions with police and healthcare professionals related to mental health,” he said.
The suspect has not yet been identified.
During a brief statement Sunday morning, Carney said that there was no “active threat” to Canadians after the tragedy.
“Last night, families lost a sister, a brother, a mother, a father, a son or a daughter. Those families are living every family’s nightmare,” he said, his eyes welling up with tears.
Vancouver police said shortly after the incident that the main suspect was held on site by bystanders until police arrived.
The tragedy shook up the second-last day of the federal election campaign, with national parties adjusting their itineraries by cancelling some events or adding last-minute stops in Vancouver or at Filipino community gathering spots.
The Liberals cancelled a planned Sunday morning Hamilton event while Carney was briefing by his national security advisor and law enforcement. The campaign also cancelled a rally in Calgary, downsized another rally in Edmonton to a meet and greet and was still wrestling with what to do with events in Richmond and Victoria, B.C., as of noon ET Sunday.
The NDP announced it was cancelling planned events after a press conference in Penticton, B.C., to return to Vancouver.
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who attended the Lapu Lapu festival Saturday and left minutes before the attack, told reporters that evening that he was shocked by the “death and destruction.”
“I just keep on picturing the kids’ faces. I keep on thinking about the kids that were just having such an amazing time, the joy, the incredible warmth of the people there,” he said.
“The horrible death and destruction that happened at an event like that is something I can’t comprehend, and I keep on playing through my mind.”
The Conservatives’ schedule remained mostly unchanged except for adding a brief stop at a Filipino church in Mississauga, Ont., for leader Pierre Poilievre to say a few words about the tragedy in Vancouver.
“I wanted to be here today with you in solidarity after terrible attacks that we witnessed in British Columbia. I know many of you are shocked, are broken and saddened by this senseless act of violence,” he told members of the congregation Sunday morning.
King Charles also issued a statement mourning victims of the “dreadful” attack on X Sunday morning .
“Our hearts and prayers go out to all those whole lives have been shattered by such a desperate tragedy and we send our deepest possibly sympathy at a most agonizing time for so many in Canada,” reads the statement signed “Charles R”.
More to come .
National Post, with files from the Vancouver Sun
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