A car crashed into a crowd at a Filipino street festival on Saturday night, killing 11 people and injuring many others. Earlier, it was reported that nine people were injured, but the number has gone up, as per the report.
Vancouver police said in a release accessed by media that 30-year-old Kai-Ji Adam Lo has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder.
What did the police say?
The police statement said, "The charge assessment is ongoing, and further charges are anticipated."
Authorities also warned that the death toll may rise. The suspect, a Vancouver resident with a history of mental illness, was known to police.
"It would appear that mental health appears to be the underlying issue here," Mayor Ken Sim said at a news conference Sunday, as quoted by NBC.
Following the deadly incident at Vancouver's Lapu Lapu festival, Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his condolences and said he spoke with Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim and assured the city and the Filipino-Canadian community that the federal government stood ready to assist.
Carney wrote on his microblogging website X, "I spoke with Mayor Sim this afternoon following the attack at last night's Lapu Lapu festival. I offered my condolences and the federal government's full support."
"We will be there for the people of Vancouver and the Filipino-Canadian community as you heal from this tragedy," he added.
While, NDP leader Jagmeet Singh, who was at the festival earlier, also offered his condolences.
Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed condolences to the people of Canada after the incident.
"Heartbreaking tragedy at Vancouver's Filipino festival, where a man drove a car into the crowd, killing and injuring innocent people," he wrote on his X platform.
"On this sad day, Ukrainians deeply share the pain of Canadians, Vancouver residents, and the Canadian Filipino community. Our condolences to the victims' families, and we wish the injured a speedy recovery," he further added.
