Canadian Filipinos mourn their community after a stop

Canadian Filipinos mourn their community after a stop

A man who is accused by the police, A fatal car attack in To have carried out Vancouver was charged with murder while the Canadian Filipinos mourn the attack on their community.

Kai-Ji-Adam Lo is said to have driven his car into a crowd at a Street festival on Saturday evening that celebrated the Filipino heritage. At least 11 people were killed and several dozen were injured.

The suspect, who was arrested at the crime scene, had a history of psychological problems, according to the police and was already in contact with the authorities.

what happened?

Filipinos from the south -wing vancouver had gathered for a street celebration on the occasion of the Lapu Lapu day, an event that was reminiscent of an indigenous leader who fought against the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. What started as a happy festival, however, turned into a horror scene when a black Audi SUV was directed into the large crowd around 8 p.m. The driver is said to have acted alone and was the only person in the vehicle, according to the police.

Festival goers and passers -by helped to follow the driver, and this was later arrested at the scene, the police reported Vancouver.

Who is the suspect?

Lo, a 30-year-old resident of Vancouver, was faced with eight charges for murder second degree, according to a police declaration of police. He appeared in court and is still in custody.

The Vancouver police stated that further charges can be expected. No further identifying information, such as the ethnicity of Lo or possible motives, was provided in the police declaration - but the authorities had previously stated that there were no evidence that the attack was a terrorist act.

Who were the victims?

In the attack, eleven people aged 5 to 65 were killed, the police said. The names of the deceased have not yet been published, and some first have to be identified formally.

Some of the injuries are still in a critical condition on Sunday, the police reported at a press conference. The street festival on Saturday was a family -friendly event in which parents and children rummaged at food and traditional dance performances.

The Filipino Community in the province of British Columbia is shocked, since the organizers of the event in a Explanation on Instagram spoke of "deep grief, caused by this senseless tragedy". A vigil took place on Sunday evening, in which photos showed people, lit the candles and laid down flowers near the crime scene.

What did the Filipino authorities say?

authorities in Canada and on the Philippines have convicted the attack and expressed their sympathy for the families concerned. The Filipino President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. explained that the "unimaginable tragedy" "will not be forgotten" and that Filipino diplomats and employees in Vancouver were instructed to support the victims and coordinate with the Canadian authorities.

The Filipino Consulate in Vancouver also made an explanation on Instagram: "While we are waiting for more information about the incident, we pray that our community remains strong and resistant in this difficult time, penetrating the spirit of Bayanihan", whereby Bayanihan is the Filipino word for the spirit of helping together in emergency.

In Canada, around 925,500 ethnic filipinos live, according to the last Counting in 2021 . The Philippines are the second largest source for immigrants to Canada, behind India. The greatest concentration of the Filipino population in Canada is located in the province of Manitoba, followed by Alberta, Yukon, Saskatchewan and British Columbia.

What about the elections?

The tragedy occurred just a few days before the decisive nationwide elections in Canada on Monday, which raises new questions about public security. In response, the authorities tried to dispel the worries and to express confidence in existing security plans.

"Our top priority is and will always be and will be the protection of the residents of Vancouver," said the mayor of Vancouver, Ken Sim, and emphasized that Vancouver is still "a safe city" in which the "vast majority" of the events expires without incidents. After the attack, he had ordered a complete review of the safety precautions.

The provisional chief of police from Vancouver, Steve Rai, also explained that the authorities had carried out a risk analysis before the festival, which was largely carried out on the premises of a school that was not directly accessible via public roads.

He added that they did not find any "threats to the event or the Filipino Community" and have decided that no police officers and no difficult vehicle closures should be used on site. "Although I am confident that the common risk analysis and the security plan made sense, we will work with our partners in the city of Vancouver to check all circumstances around the planning of this event," said Rai.

On Sunday, the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said that he was "deeply affected" by the attack while emphasizing that the authorities did not see any "active threat" for Canadians. The conservative party leader Pierre Piilievre, Carney's main contradictory in the elections, also spoke out his condolences to the victims and their families.