VANCOUVER鈥擳he city and its devastated Filipino community were struggling Sunday to understand how a joyful weekend street festival had turned into a scene of carnage after a vehicle plowed into the event, leaving 11 dead and dozens injured.
Police were calling the Saturday night attack 鈥 which had resulted in eight charges of murder against a 30-year-old man聽鈥 the “darkest day in Vancouver’s history.”
A trail of debris was still on the grounds at the site of the Lapu-Lapu Day Block Party and several blocks remained shut down Sunday afternoon, as Vancouverites gathered to place flowers and mourn the victims.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim聽told reporters he was “completely heartbroken” and angry, following the attack, but that the suspect,聽Kai-Ji Adam Lo, did not appear to be motivated by terrorism, and instead had a significant聽history of mental health issues and multiple past interactions with police.
“What happened at the Lapu-Lapu festival last night was unthinkable,” Sim said. “Families gathered to celebrate the chance to share their culture and their pride. And in an instant, their world was shattered.
Steve Rai, interim chief of the Vancouver Police Department says an attack that has killed 11 people is the 鈥渄arkest day鈥 in the city鈥檚 history. (April 27, 2025 / The Canadian Press)
“To the Filipino community and the family members of the victims: we see you, we love you and we grieve with you.”
Vancouver police said the suspect聽“drove into a large crowd” at the street festival at East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street just after 8 p.m. local time Saturday. The accused was apprehended by festivalgoers, and arrested by authorities at the scene, police said.聽
Later in the evening police said that along with the eight murder charges laid against Lo, more are anticipated.
The 11 victims of the attack ranged in age from five to 65, and the death toll could yet rise, interim Vancouver police Chief Steve Rai cautioned Sunday.
Lo had no prior criminal record, according to court records.
Early last year, his brother, Alexander Lo, was found dead on Jan. 28, 2024, after police were called to a home in Vancouver. Dwight William Kematch, 39, was charged with second-degree murder.
Lo shared in a GoFundMe campaign how he and his family were devastated by his brother鈥檚 death.
“I鈥檓 burdened with remorse for not spending more time with him. I implore you to keep his soul in your thoughts and prayers,” he wrote.聽
In September, Lo once again took to GoFundMe after he said his mother attempted to commit suicide. On the post, Lo said he found his mother, who was deeply troubled about the death of her son and stressed from climbing bills, unconscious in her bed before she was rushed to the hospital.
Rai said Sunday that while Vancouver police have deployed officers with rifles at other events in the past year, they only take that precaution when they believe an event might escalate. Police hadn’t believed the Filipino festival faced such a risk or required precautions such as barriers, the chief said.聽“It’s a family-friendly cultural event with no history on any system, on any platform,” Rai said. “And previously last year, there were no incidents at all.”
The incident marks at least the fourth attack in seven years in which vehicles have been deployed as deadly weapons against groups of people in Canada, a phenomenon also seen internationally that has raised pointed questions about cities’ safety and emergency preparedness.
Witnesses recount ‘nightmare’
Sheldon Nipshank attended the festival Saturday night and said he had been welcomed with laughs and smiles, as “everybody was having fun.” But a short while later, he was stumbling onto what he called a “nightmare” 鈥 a scene of horror he said he will never forget.
First, he saw four police officers sprinting down the street. They were followed by waves of firefighters and paramedics.
Then, he saw the bodies on the ground.
“I saw the four cops carrying a deceased individual up the street until they got to a table where they could carry him on. Then, I saw them doing CPR on a person who I think was just barely surviving,” he told the Star.
“After that, I walked down the street some more. I saw another person, they were covered up. I saw another person, they were covered up. It was just one after another.”
On the other side of the fence where he was standing, he said, he could hear a woman scream, “My legs aren’t working!”
Nipshank, who had been at the same food trucks less than an hour before, was distraught.
“I didn’t plan to wake up that morning to see 11 people dead.”
Vancouver Police secure the scene where a car drove into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver on Saturday April 26, 2025. There has been a number of fatalities and numerous injuries. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rich Lam
Rich Lam The Canadian PressHe added: “How can somebody wake up in the morning and just decide that they’re going to do this to innocent people that are just enjoying their day of cultural events? It’s not right.”
Videos show aftermath
Within hours, videos showing the aftermath of the ramming were circulating online.
Screams and sobs ring out in each. People can be seen running in all directions. Paramedics and bystanders tend to the injured. Bodies lay motionless on the ground, some with limbs contorted.
In one, a young child in a purple dress looks up at an adult. “I want to go home,” she can be heard, faintly, amongst the chaos. A few moments later, the camera pans back and the two are hugging.
In another, the cameraperson runs toward two victims, lying side-by-side on the pavement.
“Sir, sir, sir, don’t move, don’t move, don’t move,” he yells. “No, no, no.”
The black SUV, emergency lights flashing, can be seen in two of the four videos reviewed by the Star. An officer is stationed outside the driver side door, left ajar.
‘Some really traumatic things’
At a church about a 10-minute walk from the scene of the mayhem, more than 200 Filipino community members and others, including political leaders such as B.C. Premier David Eby, gathered for a vigil and service Sunday, with people spilling outside the modestly sized chapel into the hallways, another room and even outdoors.
There were tears, hugs and prayers. A choir sang, sometimes joined by a crowd relying on its faith to make sense of a tragedy.
“When you can hear the songs that are being sung, and everyone just knows the songs, and there’s this chorus of sniffles, but then also hugs that are happening at the same time, I’m just so grateful that we’re able to be here physically for each other right now,” Kaira Fenix, a member of community group Migrante BC, told the Star following the vigil.
The festival, one of the biggest celebrations in the Philippines, is named after an Indigenous resistance fighter in the country who fought against Spanish colonization in the 16th century. Organizers had said it was an opportunity to mark “the enduring impact on Filipino values, notably the spirit of bayanihan 鈥 the collective community effort.”
Fenix said she was at the festival volunteering mere hours before the attack, her voice breaking as she described her phone being inundated with messages from friends in the aftermath.
“As soon as it happened, we were doing rounds of calls to check in on all of our members, check in on the folks that we met yesterday too at the table, just trying to make sure that everyone is okay,” she said. “Whether we directly know someone that was lost yesterday or injured, so many of us are grieving right now in different states of processing what happened.”
“A lot of my friends saw some really traumatic things.”
Rev. Expedito Farinas, who led the service at聽Bishop Hills Memorial Church of St. Mary the Virgin, told the Star he was “shocked” and full of gratitude as he saw the church overflowing with community members. The church, he said, typically has a congregation of about 40 people during its Sunday services.
“Words are not enough to express what I’m feeling,” he said. “We’re all sad as a Filipino community. But when you are grieving and someone is grieving with you, that’s a big help.”
With files from聽Ana Pereira, Tonda MacCharles, Kristjan Lautens and The Canadian Press.
Three eyewitnesses described what they saw after the driver of a car struck revellers at a street festival in Canada, killing at least nine people. The three eyewitness, who all have links to the Filipino community and are Vancouver residents, said they were in the shopping area at the end of the all-day Lapu Lapu festival when they heard the revving of a vehicle and loud noises from the street. (AP Video / April 27, 2025)
Vancouver Police look over a black car believed to be involved in an incident where a vehicle drove into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver on Saturday April 26, 2025.聽
Rich Lam/The Canadian PressI am shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific incident at today鈥檚 Lapu Lapu Day event. We will work to provide more information as soon as we can, but at this time have confirmed that there are a number of fatalities and multiple injuries. Our thoughts are with鈥
鈥 Mayor Ken Sim (@KenSimCity)
Shocked & heartbroken to hear of the lives lost & those injured at the Lapu Lapu festival. Police are investigating & a suspect is in custody. We are in contact with the City of Vancouver and will provide any support needed. My thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones.
鈥 David Eby (@Dave_Eby)
I am devastated to hear about the horrific events at the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver earlier this evening.
鈥 Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney)
I offer my deepest condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured, to the Filipino Canadian community, and to everyone in Vancouver. We are all mourning with鈥
I am horrified to learn of an incident at Vancouver鈥檚 Lapu Lapu Day celebrations that injured and killed innocent people.
鈥 Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh)
As we wait to learn more, our thoughts are with the victims and their families 鈥 and Vancouver鈥檚 Filipino community, who were coming together today to鈥
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh reacts to news that an SUV plowed through a Vancouver street festival Saturday night leaving several dead and injured. Singh had been attending the Lapu Lapu Day festival just before the tragedy unfolded, in the closing stages of the federal election campaign. (April 27, 2025 / The Canadian Press)
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh poses for photos during a campaign stop at a Lapu Lapu Day block party, in Vancouver, on Saturday, April 26, 2025.聽
Darryl Dyck THE CANADIAN PRESSI am shocked by the horrific news emerging from Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day Festival tonight.
鈥 Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre)
My thoughts are with the Filipino community and all the victims targeted by this senseless attack. Thank you to the first responders who are at the scene as we wait to hear more.
A victim lies near a food truck after a car drove into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver on Saturday April 26, 2025.聽
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rich Lam
