The ramming attack that killed 11 people at a Filipino festival in Vancouver was an “indiscriminate act of violence” and not a hate crime, Vancouver police say, as new details emerge about the complex investigation.
Police are interviewing 200 witnesses and conducting a video canvass spanning 25 blocks as part of their investigation into Saturday’s deadly incident at the Lapu-Lapu block party, Sgt. Steve Addison told a news conference on Tuesday.
The 11 victims, ages five to 65, were killed and dozens more were hurt after police say a 30-year-old Vancouver man drove an SUV into crowds at the festival on Saturday night.
Kai-Ji Adam Lo is charged with eight counts of second-degree murder. He is expected to face additional charges in the coming days or weeks.
Speaking to reporters, Addison reiterated that investigators are not treating the attack as a hate crime or act of terror.Â
“All indications are that this was a completely indiscriminate act of violence,” he said.Â
Addison said that of the 32 surviving victims taken to hospital over the weekend, seven people remain in critical condition. Two are women and five are men, their ages ranging from 29 to 66.Â
Three people — a 22-month-old child and two men — are also listed in serious condition.Â
Police have not shared the names of those killed in the attack, but Addison said 10 of them were Metro Vancouver residents. Investigators were still working to determine whether any were foreign nationals.
In Toronto, more than 100 people gathered Tuesday evening at Nathan Phillips Square to mourn the lives lost.
They laid flowers, lit candles and held 14 minutes of silence — 11 for the victims and three for the dozens injured. Community members also spoke of the emotions from Saturday, how they heard about the attack and their grief for the Filipino community.
“We grieve with you,” read one note on a canvas on the ground where people wrote messages with markers. “Our hearts break with yours.”
º£½ÇÉçÇø¹ÙÍøMayor Olivia Chow and Coun. Ausma Malik (Spadina—Fort York) also attended the vigil.
Tuesday’s press conference from Vancouver police came hours after Vancouver Coastal Health (VCH) revealed that its mental health workers had been treating the accused prior to the attack.
Lo was under the care of the regional health authority’s mental health team and “on extended leave” in accordance with the Mental Health Act, VCH spokesperson Jeremy Deutsch said in a statement.
An extended leave generally means that the patient can live in the community while following a treatment plan, such as visiting their mental health team and taking medication.
“In this situation,” Deutsch said, “the care team followed established guidelines for a client on extended leave, and there was no indication this person was not following their treatment plan or presented a public safety risk.”
The revelation that Lo was receiving medical care comes after police said the suspect had a history of interactions with its service related to his mental state.
The day before the attack, Addison said, Lo interacted with a neighbouring police jurisdiction but it “was not criminal in nature” and “did not rise to the level” where mental health intervention was required.
The incident — described by police as the “darkest day” in Vancouver’s history — occurred as the festival was coming to a close around 8 p.m.
Police say the suspect drove his SUV into a large crowd on East 43rd Avenue near Fraser Street and struck dozens of revellers.Â
Bystanders then intervened to apprehend him until police arrived.
Devastated by the loss, many of the victims’ families and friends have since organized GoFundMe campaigns or spoken to media to share their stories.Â
Among the dead are a Vancouver teacher and a couple and their five-year-old child.
Richard Le was at the festival with his wife Linh Hoang and their daughter Katie when he sent his 16-year-old son a text around 8 p.m. saying they were leaving soon.
Moments later, the family was run down, said Richard’s brother, Toan Le.
The 16-year-old had decided at the last second not to attend the event so he could finish his homework.
Richard, 47, is being remembered as a realtor and badminton and tennis coach who served his community with pride.
Hoang, 30, was a devoted mother to Katie and stepmother to the teen boy — “a really good person,” Le said.
The youngest, Katie, was energetic and outgoing with a “lovable personality.”
Also killed in the attack was Kira Salim, a teacher and counsellor with the New Westminster school district.Â
“Their work, and the great spirit they brought to it, changed lives,” officials with New Westminster school district said in a statement.
Salim was a Brazilian-born musician who had been living in British Columbia for three years, according to reports from international media outlets. Before moving to Canada, they worked as a music teacher at the American School of Rio de Janeiro.
“They were an epic drag king, a wonderful exuberant contributor to our local community, volunteer, activist, local educator, (and) mental health worker,” reads a statement from members of New West Pride.
Memorials and vigils to remember the victims have popped up not only in Vancouver but across the country and beyond.Â
Flowers, candles and tribute messages can be seen all around the site where the attack occurred.
On Tuesday, Addison said police recovered personal belongings of revellers at the crime scene and were working with the city to return them to their rightful owners.
He said police were clearing the scene, which was “very significant in size,” and roads were expected to reopen on Wednesday.
With files from Jennifer Pagliaro, Abby O’Brien, Mark Colley and The Canadian Press
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