On April 23, 2018, a man deliberately drove a rented van through crowds of people walking on the sidewalk on Yonge Street, killing 10 people, injuring 16 and traumatizing many more.
In the span of minutes on the sunny spring afternoon, countless lives were changed forever.
In the wake of the worst mass attack in Toronto鈥檚 recent history, the Star has documented the lasting impact on the victims, the , the trial to determine the mental state of the perpetrator, Alek Minassian, and the rise of incel-linked terrorism.
Here is an index of the Star鈥檚 reporting in the days, weeks and years since the Yonge Street van attack.
The Star鈥檚 coverage of the attack includes contributions from dozens of editors, photographers, graphic designers and other contributors not named here.
From that afternoon
The day of April 23, 2018: 鈥淚f ever there was a moment for an overdose of quintessential Canadian resilience it is now, as our metropolis struggles to make sense of the incomprehensible: a deliberate massacre on Toronto鈥檚 most famous street.鈥
Sunny spring day turns to unforgettable tragedy as van driver kills 10 鈥 By Mitch Potter, Wendy Gillis, Jesse McLean, Moira Welsh, Jenna Moon, Tonda MacCharles, Bruce Campion-Smith, Victoria Gibson, David Rider, Jaren Kerr, Emily Mathieu, Theresa Boyle, Tamar Harris, Alanna Rizza, Julien Gignac, May Warren, Andrew Palamarchuk, Aaron D鈥橝ndrea and Gilbert Ngabo
The day Yonge St. became a war zone: How the van rampage unfolded moment by moment 鈥 By Brendan Kennedy
On the days that followed
海角社区官网residents soon gathered for an unprecedented outpouring of street tributes and emotion.
Grieving city residents gather at makeshift memorial on Yonge St. 鈥 By Victoria Gibson, Tamar Harris and Moira Welsh
A woman embraces well-wisher Cathy Najafi at a makeshift memorial set up on Yonge Street on April 23, 2018.
Lucas Oleniuk / 海角社区官网StarTherapy dogs offer comfort at Mel Lastman Square 鈥 By Victoria Gibson
Marjan Iravani hugs Buddy the golden retriever therapy dog from St. John’s Ambulance on April 26, 2018.
Carlos Osorio / 海角社区官网Star26 tales of courage and compassion amid the chaos of the 海角社区官网van rampage 鈥 By Allan Woods, Tamar Harris, Victoria Gibson, David Rider, Brendan Kennedy, May Warren, Gilbert Ngabo and Jacques Gallant
As life returns to Yonge St., the stories of the victims remain 鈥 By Edward Keenan
On the victims
Eight women and two men, ranging in age from 22 to 94, were killed. In the days and weeks after the attack, a team of Star reporters worked to tell their stories.
10 people dead, 16 injured: Officials have identified the victims killed in the Yonge St. van rampage 鈥 By Vjosa Isai, Fatima Syed, Victoria Gibson, Andrea Gordon, Sara Mojtehedzadeh, Michele Henry, Marco Chown Oved, Jesse McLean and Kenyon Wallace
The victims of the 海角社区官网van rampage, clockwise from top left: Anne Marie D’Amico, 30, Dorothy Sewell, 80, Renuka Amarasingha, 45, Geraldine Brady, 83, Munir Najjar, 85, Chul Min “Eddie” Kang, 45, Ji Hun Kim, 22, Andrea Bradden, 33, Betty Forsyth, 94, and So He Chung, 22.
TORONTO STAR COMPOSITERenuka Amarasingha, 45: 鈥淩enuka wanted the best opportunities for her son. She took him to soccer, swimming and karate. She spent all her time with him. She was a proud single mom. She wasn鈥檛 rich financially but her life was so rich with Diyon.鈥
What鈥檚 next for Diyon? Friends and family deal with shock of single mother鈥檚 death in 海角社区官网rampage 鈥 By Nicholas Keung
Andrea Bradden, 33: 鈥淪he had the uncanny ability to make any room she walked into a more positive place, with laughter filling the room. When Andrea smiled, everyone smiled with her.鈥
Andrea Bradden is remembered in communities across the GTA 鈥 By Victoria Gibson
Geraldine Brady, 83: 鈥淚n tributes posted across the internet, friends mourned the loss of 鈥榓 beautiful soul,鈥 noting her witty sense of humour, warm heart, and happy, cheerful presence. Photographs of Brady, shared in her memory, show her in dazzling displays of colour, bright blazers and patterns.鈥
Geraldine Brady remembered as a 鈥榣ifelong friend鈥 with a 鈥榩ositive attitude and smile鈥 鈥 By Victoria Gibson
Sohe Chung, 22: 鈥淔riends remember Chung as a sweet, sincere person who loved fashion and was fiercely loyal to her friends.鈥
Sohe Chung remembered as a 鈥榞enuine, kind person鈥 鈥 By Jesse McLean
Anne Marie D鈥橝mico, 30: 鈥淪he had a way of making everybody鈥檚 life a little happier or more complete.鈥
Family of Yonge St. van attack victim Anne Marie D鈥橝mico launches foundation in her name 鈥 By May Warren
Chul Min (Eddie) Kang, 45: 鈥淥ne memory that stands out in Kim鈥檚 mind was her snowy, January birthday. Kang put on his jacket and boots to go outside in the wind and snow, and Kim protested 鈥 鈥榃here are you going? It鈥檚 my birthday鈥 鈥 I was ready to fight,鈥 she said with a laugh. Kang returned with a 鈥渉uge cake, a rainbow cake.鈥
鈥楨verything was there鈥: Widow remembers husband killed in van rampage 鈥 By Tamar Harris
Ji Hun Kim, 22: 鈥淚鈥檓 so sad you had to leave us this way,鈥 the note, written in Korean characters, read. 鈥淭he time we spent together was so nice. I鈥檓 here hoping you went to a good place.鈥
Mourners march in vigil held by Korean Canadian Cultural Association for victims of North York van attack 鈥 By Tamar Harris
Betty Forsyth, 94: 鈥淏etty Forsyth was a 94-year-old force of nature who defied her age by living independently and taking frequent long walks along Yonge St., constantly wearing out the wheels on her walker. 鈥淚 had to change them twice!鈥 her nephew Rob Forsyth said. 鈥淪he wore them down to the metal.鈥
Betty Forsyth was a 94-year-old force of nature 鈥 By Michele Henry
Munir Najjar, 85: The day before he was killed, he visited Edwards Gardens. 鈥淗e was thrilled with every tree he saw, with every flower, every bird 鈥 He was thrilled to be alive and to be part of this beautiful place.鈥
Munir Najjar 鈥榳ill be remembered for his good heart鈥 鈥 By Fatima Syed
Dorothy Sewell, 80: 鈥淭he best grandma anyone could ever ask for 鈥 You could always count on her call.鈥
Dorothy Sewell was 鈥榯he best grandma anyone could ever ask for鈥 鈥 By Victoria Gibson
Sixteen others were injured, and Amaresh Tesfamariam, 65, later died of those injuries on Oct. 29, 2021. The nurse was remembered as a 鈥渃harismatic, witty, strong and smart鈥 woman. 鈥(My aunt) fought for over three and a half years, but her faith never wavered, it only deepened,鈥 her niece said.
鈥楢 huge loss鈥: Yonge Street van attack victim Amaresh Tesfamariam missed 鈥榚very day鈥 鈥 By Joanna Lavoie
Among the injured is Catherine Riddell, who had to relearn to walk in the North York neighbourhood where she was nearly killed.
Catherine Riddell ?a visually-impaired North York resident ? recovers in hospital in a May 1, 2018, photograph.
Steve Russell / 海角社区官网StarSurvivors of the Yonge St. van attack tell of the pain and anguish of recovery, one year later 鈥 By Jason Miller and Alyshah Hasham
On the people who rushed to help:
Several people rushed into action that day. A year after the attack, they shared how their lives were changed.
鈥 By May Warren and Jim Rankin
海角社区官网police Const. Ken Lam received worldwide recognition for his no-force arrest of the perpetrator.
Arresting officer Ken Lam wonders: 鈥楧id I make the right decision?鈥 鈥 By Wendy Gillis and Jenna Moon
Cop who faced down suspect in Yonge St. carnage an example for all of us 鈥 By Edward Keenan
On the man who did it:
Initial accounts from people who knew killer Alek Minassian zeroed on one key question about the man: why would he do it?
鈥業 was like, how did he get a van?鈥 Inside the life of Alek Minassian, the 海角社区官网van rampage suspect no one thought capable of murder 鈥 By Amy Dempsey
He also claimed to be an 鈥渋ncel鈥 鈥 part of a misogynist group formed around the hatred of women.
Why CSIS is changing the way it talks about extremist threats, including 鈥榠ncel鈥 violence 鈥 By Alex Boutilier
In a disturbing police interview just hours after his arrest, Minassian, then 25, said he had 鈥渁ccomplished my mission.鈥
Van attack driver Alek Minassian鈥檚 disturbing police interview: 鈥業 feel like I accomplished my mission鈥 鈥 By Alyshah Hasham
On his trial:
At his trial, one of the first to take place entirely on Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Minassian鈥檚 lawyers argued he was not criminally responsible because his form of autism spectrum disorder left him unable to know mass murder was wrong.
鈥楶eople were not prepared鈥: The Yonge St. van attack trial opens with excruciating detail, new video of Alek Minassian鈥檚 actions 鈥 By Alyshah Hasham
Alek Minassian killed 10 people and injured 16 in four minutes of terror on Yonge Street. Did he know what he did was wrong? 鈥 By Alyshah Hasham
That argument was rejected by Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy, who found Minassian guilty of 10 counts of first-degree murder and 16 counts of attempted murder in March 2021.
For victims and their families, the 海角社区官网van attack guilty verdict means 鈥榳e can finally breathe鈥 鈥 By Alyshah Hasham
Could this have been prevented? Why the Alek Minassian verdict won鈥檛 answer one key question 鈥 By Alyshah Hasham
鈥楾his was never a case of autism causing mass murder鈥: Activists express relief over 海角社区官网van attack guilty verdict 鈥 By Nadine Yousif
In her verdict, Molloy made the unusual decision not to name Minassian, referring to him as 鈥淛ohn Doe鈥 in an attempt to deny him the fame he craved.
鈥業t is my hope that his name would no longer be published鈥: In unprecedented step, judge refuses to name 海角社区官网van attack driver 鈥 By Betsy Powell and Alyshah Hasham
His name matters. The 海角社区官网van attack wasn鈥檛 done by some 鈥楯ohn Doe鈥 鈥 By Rosie DiManno
On his prison sentence:
Minassian鈥檚 sentencing hearing was delayed until the Supreme Court of Canada could rule on whether it is constitutional to effectively sentence a murderer to life without a chance of parole.
海角社区官网van attack killer鈥檚 sentencing postponed to 2022 over pending Supreme Court hearing 鈥 By Alyshah Hasham
In May 2022, the court struck down the law, making Minassian鈥檚 sentence automatic: life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. (There is no guarantee that Minassian, or any other mass murderer, will ever get parole.)
Supreme Court strikes down 鈥榙egrading鈥 parole ineligibility law for mass murders 鈥 By Betsy Powell
On the voices of victims:
His sentencing hearing began Monday, June 13, scheduled to hear from dozens of victims and their families 鈥 giving some a chance to face him in court for the first time.
海角社区官网hears from the victims of the Yonge Street van attack 鈥 By Alyshah Hasham, Betsy Powell and Ghada Alsharif
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