Vancouver man charged with 8 counts of murder in Lapu-Lapu Day festival tragedy
CBC
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Police say a Vancouver man has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder after an SUV was driven into a crowd at a Filipino community festival Saturday evening, killing 11 people and injuring dozens more.
Police say they weren't aware beforehand of specific threats against the Lapu-Lapu Day festival, which is named after an Indigenous resistance fighter in the Philippines who fought against Spanish colonization in the 16th century.
According to police, the crash happened on East 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street just before 8 p.m. PT on Saturday, and is not being investigated as an act of terrorism.
Police say the 11 people killed range in age from five to 65 years old. The B.C. Ministry of Health has confirmed 32 patients, including those who passed away, were seen at several hospitals across the Lower Mainland following the incident. Of those patients, 17 remain hospitalized, including some in critical and serious condition, while others are being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
On Sunday afternoon, 30-year-old Kai-Ji Adam Lo was charged with eight counts of second-degree murder in relation to the crash, according to police.
Second-degree murder is generally defined in Canada as an intentional killing that wasn't planned in advance.
Lo appeared very briefly in court for a bail hearing Sunday afternoon, wearing grey sweats. He did not request bail and will remain in custody until his next appearance, scheduled for May 26 in Vancouver provincial court.
A publication ban prevents other details from being reported. When such bans are in place, journalists can only report three main things: the fact that a bail hearing took place, whether or not the accused was granted bail and whether there are any conditions to their release.
In a statement, the Vancouver Police Department said the charge assessment was ongoing and further charges are anticipated.
At a news conference Sunday morning, interim Vancouver police chief Steve Rai called it the "darkest day in the city's history."
"It is hard to make sense of something so senseless, and I know there are questions about whether this tragedy could have been prevented," Rai said.
In a later news conference held with Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, Rai defended the police department's preparations for the festival, saying that a risk assessment had determined that dedicated officers and heavy police vehicles were not necessary.
"Last year ... there was zero interactions with police at this festival," Rai told reporters. "It was a family-friendly cultural celebration involving kids, and we wanted to maintain that based on that information and that threat assessment.
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