Canada: 9 killed as car drives into Vancouver festival crowd; 'no terror link', say cops

At least nine people were killed when a man drove into a crowd at a Filipino heritage festival in the Canadian city of Vancouver, and an unknown number were injured, police said on Sunday (April 27).

The vehicle entered the street at 8:14 pm on Saturday and struck people attending the Lapu Lapu Day festival, the Vancouver Police Department said in a social media post.

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A 30-year-old Vancouver man was arrested at the scene and the department's Major Crime Section is overseeing the investigation, police said. “At this time, we are confident that this incident was not an act of terrorism,” the police department posted early Sunday.

Video goes viral

The festival was being held in a South Vancouver neighbourhood. Video posted on social media showed victims and debris strewn across a long stretch of road, with at least seven people lying immobile on the ground. A black SUV with a crumpled front section could be seen in still photos from the scene.

James Cruzat, a Vancouver business owner, was at the event and heard a car rev its engine and then “a loud noise, like a loud bang” that he initially thought might be a gunshot.

“We saw people on the road crying, others were like running, shouting, or even screaming, asking for help. So we tried to go there just to check what was really actually happening until we found some bodies on the ground. Others were lifeless, others like, you know, injured,” Cruzat said.

“It was terrible to see that kind of incident, that situation. It was heart breaking,” Cruzat said. “I couldn't even imagine that it's actually happening in real life, because normally we see that on TVs or movies. But when you are in that kind of situation, it was really shocking... You couldn't do anything but to pray for them.”

PM condoles deaths

Prime Minister Mark Carney and other Canadian political figures posted messages expressing shock at the violence, condolences for victims and support for the community celebrating its heritage at the festival.

“I offer my deepest condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured, to the Filipino Canadian community, and to everyone in Vancouver. We are all mourning with you,” Carney wrote.

“My thoughts are with the Filipino community and all the victims targeted by this senseless attack. Thank you to the first responders who are at the scene as we wait to hear more,” Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre wrote.

David Eby, the premier of British Columbia, the province where Vancouver is located, said he was shocked and heartbroken. “We are in contact with the City of Vancouver and will provide any support needed,” Eby wrote.

Eyewitness accounts

Eyewitnesses told local media outlets that a black SUV ploughed through the festival at speed, hitting multiple people as it drove through the crowds. They said the driver of the car appeared to be a young Asian man, and seemed to be mentally challenged.

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Vancouver Mayor Kenneth Sim said in a social media post that the city would provide more information when possible.

“I am shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific incident at today's Lapu Lapu Day event. Our thoughts are with all those affected and with Vancouver's Filipino community during this incredibly difficult time,” Sim said.

About Lapu Lapu fest

Vancouver had more than 38,600 residents of Filipino heritage in 2021, representing 5.9% of the city's total population, according to Statistics Canada, the agency that conducts the national census.

Lapu Lapu Day celebrates Datu Lapu-Lapu, an indigenous chieftain who stood up to Spanish explorers who came to the Philippines in the 16th century. The organisers of the Vancouver event said he “represents the soul of native resistance, a powerful force that helped shape the Filipino identity in the face of colonisation”.

(With agency inputs)