At least 9 people have been killed, and more than 20 reportedly injured after a driver rammed into a crowd at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival, a celebration of Filipino heritage in Vancouver.
The attack occurred just before Canada’s federal election (April 28), prompting political leaders to pause campaigning
A 30-year-old Vancouver man was arrested at the scene. He was known to police “in certain circumstances,” but authorities have ruled out terrorism as a motive
Witnesses described the vehicle as a black SUV driving erratically before accelerating into the crowd. Some festival-goers chased and detained the suspect before police arrived.
One food truck owner described seeing “bodies everywhere” and compared the scene to a “war zone”
The Lapu-Lapu Day festival honors a Filipino national hero who resisted Spanish colonization. It was the second annual celebration in Vancouver, drawing up to 100,000 attendees. The attack occurred as the event was winding down, shortly after 8:14 p.m. local time.
Canadian PM Mark Carney called it a “car-ramming attack” and expressed condolences, stating that families were living “every family’s nightmare”
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said he was “shattered” and extended sympathies to the Filipino-Canadian community.
Vancouver police confirmed the investigation is ongoing but reiterated that they do not believe it was terrorism
