A car ramming attack in Vancouver this weekend that left 11 dead, including a 5-year-old child, is being described as the “darkest day” in the city’s history.
A 30-year-old male suspect has been arrested after a vehicle drove down a crowded street April 26, striking multiple people during the annual Lapu Lapu festival celebrating Filipino culture.
Here is what we know so far about the deadly incident.
What Happened?
The attack happened at 8:14 p.m. local time on April 26 at the intersection of Fraser Street and East 41st Avenue as the festival, which was attended by tens of thousands of people, was wrapping up.
Eyewitnesses said victims were sent flying as a black Audi SUV sped through the crowd. The SUV was later seen with its hood crumpled leaving the engine underneath exposed.
Video footage shared on social media on the day of the attack showed bodies and debris scattered along the roadway at the festival, with first responders and police in attendance.
Interim Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai said a suspect was arrested after initially being apprehended by bystanders.
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A video shared on social media showed a man wearing a black hoodie standing with his back to a chain-link fence, alongside a security guard and surrounded by a crowd of bystanders who were shouting and cursing at him.
“I’m sorry,” the man said, holding his hand to his head. Rai declined to comment on the video.
A woman sits and prays near the site where a vehicle drove into crowd at a street festival in Vancouver, on April 27, 2025. The Canadian Press/Rich Lam
Who Was Hurt?
The 11 people killed ranged in age from 5 to 65 years old, but Rai noted that the death toll could increase because dozens of people were hurt.
Thirty-two people were seen at hospitals across the Lower Mainland and 17 remain in care, including some in critical and serious condition, B.C.’s Health Ministry said.
Rai confirmed that the victims are both male and female and that “young people” are included among the dead.
One of those killed was Kira Salim, a teacher and school counsellor working at both Fraser River Middle School and New Westminster Secondary School.
“Kira was a valued member of our community whose wisdom and care for our middle and secondary school students had a powerful impact,” a joint statement from the Board of Education and school district superintendent Mark Davidson said, noting that the school community is “shocked and heartbroken.”
A father, mother, and 5-year-old daughter have also been confirmed as three of the 11 victims.
Toan Le says his brother Richard Le, his sister-in-law Linh Hoang, and his 5-year-old niece Katie Le were all killed during the incident. Le says the family leaves behind their 16-year-old son who didn’t attend the event.
Who Was Arrested?
A 30-year-old male suspect was arrested at the scene of the incident by Vancouver police.
Kai-Ji Adam Lo has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder in connection with the incident. Lo remains in custody and is expected to face additional murder charges as more victims are identified. His next court appearance has been set for May 26.
Vancouver police have said the incident was not a terrorist act. Although police do not possess a clear motive, Rai indicated the suspect has had numerous interactions with his officers regarding mental health issues.
History of Violence in BC
Rai has described the incident as “the darkest day in Vancouver’s history.”
The last time the province had seen a large number of casualties as a result of violence was in 1996 during a mass shooting known as the Vernon massacre, when nine people were killed and two were injured.
Mark Vijay Chahal drove to the home of his ex-wife Rajwar Gakhal on April 5 of that year where he proceeded to gun down Gakhal, her parents, her four sisters, her brother, and the husband of one of the sisters. The eldest sister’s mother-in-law and daughter were injured.
The 30-year-old Chahal later shot himself in a motel room.
The province’s worst tragedy as a result of violence occurred in 1965 when 52 people were killed in the bombing of Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 21.
The plane crashed in a wooded area in the South Cariboo region of B.C. while en route from Vancouver to Prince George. An inquest determined the crash occurred after a bomb exploded. The crime remains unsolved to this day.
Two people react at a memorial after a vehicle drove into a crowd during a Filipino heritage festival in Vancouver, on April 27, 2025. AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson
Condolences and Vigils
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said he was “completely heartbroken” by the incident, and that he has ordered a review of the safety measures that were in place at the festival.
“The individual in question has a significant history of mental health issues,” Sim said. “I want to be clear, if anything is to come of this tragedy, it has to be change. I personally will not stop in calling on governments to make these changes now.”
British Columbia Premier David Eby said it was hard not to “feel rage” about the attack.
“The man who did this murdered innocent people and destroyed a community celebration,” he said while speaking at the scene of the attack on April 27.
“I want to turn the rage that I feel into ensuring that we stand with the Filipino community, that we deliver what they need, that we stand with those families who have lost loved ones, those who have been injured—that we are not defined by this.”
Liberal Leader Mark Carney said the attack has left Canada “shocked, devastated, and heartbroken.”
“Our government — and all of Canada — is united behind the Filipino Canadian community and the people of Vancouver in this incredibly painful time,” Carney said on April 27.
Conservative Party of Canada Leader Pierre Poilievre, while speaking in Mississauga, Ont., on April 27, said the loved ones of those who lost their lives will have a “deep hole in their hearts today, and we will try and fill that with love.”
“All Canadians are united in solidarity with the Filipino community,” Poilievre said. “All Canadians are united with you in mourning the loss of these treasured lives.”
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh, who attended the event but left minutes before the incident occurred, told reporters later that night he was saddened by what had transpired.
“I don’t have the words to describe the sorrow that I’m feeling right now, but I want the Filipino community to know we’re standing with you,” he said from Burnaby. “You do not grieve alone.”
An organizer of the Filipino festival called the deadly incident a “meaningless tragedy” while at an April 28 vigil to honour the victims.
RJ Aquino said there are many people who will need help to recover and told the hundreds of mourners that organizers are working around the clock to put together an information page that will let people know how to get help and support.
“As of right now, no donations are being collected,” he said. “Unfortunately right now … the Philippine consul general’s office has already issued a notice of scam fundraisers and that sort of thing.”
The Canadian Press, Melanie Sun, Omid Ghoreishi, and Jacob Burg contributed to this report.
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