Vancouver car ramming attack: Suspect charged with eight counts of murder

The suspect, identified as Kai-Ji Adam, was caught by bystanders and handed over to the police. Investigators have noted that the suspect had a history of mental health issues

A 30-year-old man was charged with multiple counts of murder on allegations he killed 11 people when he crashed a car into a crowd attending a street festival in Vancouver on Saturday evening. The tragedy occurred at the annual Lapu Lapu festival, an event celebrating Filipino culture. 

 

The suspect has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder, according to a report by The Guardian. Investigators have ruled out terrorism and noted that the suspect, identified as Kai-Ji Adam Lo, had a history of mental health issues.

 

Eyewitnesses said a single vehicle was involved in the incident, which took place on East 43rd Avenue and Fraser in the southern part of Vancouver. Other witnesses reported that some of the people struck by the vehicle were standing near food trucks. Lo was apprehended by bystanders and handed over to the police. He is in custody and faces several murder charges.

 

 

Police established a 24-hour assistance centre to support individuals unable to reach family or friends who attended the festival.

   

 

 

What is the Lapu Lapu festival?

 

The Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver, like similar celebrations in the Philippines and globally, honours Lapu Lapu, a national hero who resisted Spanish colonisation in the 1500s.

 

Lapu Lapu, also known as Lapulapu, was an indigenous chief of Mactan, an island in the Philippines. In 1521, he and his forces defeated Spanish troops led by Ferdinand Magellan, along with some native allies, at the Battle of Mactan, delaying Spanish colonization of the region for more than 40 years. He is regarded as a hero in the present-day Philippines. Lapu Lapu Day was officially acknowledged by the government of British Columbia in 2023. Filipinos make up one of the largest immigrant communities in the province.

 

‘Shocked, devastated’: PM Carney

 

Prime Minister Mark Carney said the attack had left the country “shocked, devastated and heartbroken”. Vancouver’s police chief, Steve Rai, described the incident as “the darkest day” in the city's history.

 

The incident took place just before Canadians head to voting stations on Monday following an intense election campaign in which candidates have courted voters on issues such as increasing cost of living and addressing Donald Trump’s tariffs. Carney is expected to win after pledging to voters that he would confront Washington's extensive tariffs. Jagmeet Singh, the New Democratic Party (NDP) leader, had been present at the festival to engage with voters but departed approximately one hour before the incident.