Vancouver festival tragedy: Death toll rises to 11, suspect charged with murder

A car drove into a crowd at a Filipino heritage street festival on Saturday night, killing 11 people and injuring dozens more, with the death toll rising from an earlier count of nine, according to a report by CNN.

Festival attendees assisted in pursuing and restraining the suspect, who has been identified by police as a 30-year-old man with a documented history of mental health-related encounters with authorities.

According to The New York Times, authorities announced late Sunday that 30-year-old Kai-Ji Adam Lo had been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder, with additional charges expected to follow.

Vancouver police stated that the victims ranged in age from five to 65. Vancouver Police interim chief Steve Rai said in a Sunday press conference had said, “Dozens more are injured, some critically, and some have not yet been identified.”

In the aftermath of the deadly incident at Vancouver's Lapu Lapu festival, Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his condolences and said he spoke with Mayor of Vancouver Ken Sim following the attack and assured the city and the Filipino-Canadian community that the federal government stands ready to assist.

Sharing a post on X, Carney wrote, “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.” He added, "We will be there for the people of Vancouver and the Filipino-Canadian community as you heal from this tragedy."

Ukraine's Zelenskyy expresses condolences

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy expressed condolences to the people of Canada after a driver plunged a car into a crowd at a street festival celebrating Filipino heritage in Vancouver on Saturday night, killing nine people and injuring several others, CNN reported.

"Heartbreaking tragedy at Vancouver's Filipino festival, where a man drove a car into the crowd, killing and injuring innocent people. On this sad day, Ukrainians deeply share the pain of Canadians, Vancouver residents, and the Canadian Filipino community," Zelenskyy wrote on X on Sunday.

The event on Saturday was intended as a celebration of culture and diversity, marking Lapu Lapu Day, an annual festival organised by British Columbia's Filipino community and commemorating an indigenous leader who fought against Spanish colonisation.