Who is behind Vancouver’s Lapu-Lapu Day car rampage?

Thousands of Filipinos in Canada’s Vancouver were celebrating Lapu-Lapu Day on Saturday.

The celebrations turned into tragedy when a car drove into the crowd, killing 11 people and injuring several others.

“This is the darkest day in our city’s history,” Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai said.

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Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder, the Vancouver Police said.

In this explainer, we look at what took place during the car ramming incident, what witnesses saw, police statements, what we know about the Lapu-Lapu Day festival where the tragedy occurred, and details about the suspect and the charges against him.

What happened?

The attack happened at about 8:14 pm local time on Saturday, during a gathering to celebrate Lapu-Lapu Day, which takes place every year on April 27.

A man driving a black Audi SUV entered the street and hit several people attending the festival, leaving dozens injured.

He was arrested immediately. By Sunday evening, officials had not made the names of the victims public.

Festival attendees said the attack involved only one vehicle and took place on East 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street in southern Vancouver.

Over 100 police officers are now part of the investigation. Local authorities are also working with provincial and national agencies to offer help to those affected. Messages offering sympathy and support have come from all over the world.

Some witnesses said that a few of the people who were hit were standing close to food trucks parked nearby, BBC reported.

Footage taken after the attack shows bodies and injured people lying along a narrow street lined with food trucks. The black SUV involved had a smashed front end.

The attack on Saturday evening also came just two days before Canada’s federal election, which is being held on Monday.

It had a direct impact on the final day of campaigning , which was Sunday. The last day of election campaigning is usually busy, with leaders attending multiple events to try and win over undecided voters.

However, after the shocking incident in Vancouver, leaders chose to stop and rethink their plans.

Who is Kai-Ji Adam Lo? What is he charged with?

Some festival-goers helped chase and detain the suspect, later identified by police as Kai-Ji Adam Lo.

Lo, a 30-year-old from Vancouver, was arrested at the scene.

Police said he had a history of mental health-related encounters with authorities.

He has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder. “The charge assessment is ongoing and further charges are anticipated,” police said in a statement.

According to Vancouver police, he has appeared in court and remains in custody as of Sunday. Police have not yet discovered a motive but said there is no evidence the attack was linked to terrorism.

Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai said the suspect had “a significant history of interactions with police and healthcare professionals related to mental health.”

“It would appear that mental health appears to be the underlying issue here,” Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said.

Officials have not shared more details about Lo’s past contact with police, including what the incidents involved or when they happened.

Rai added that there had been no interaction with officers shortly before the attack. He also confirmed the suspect acted alone, was the only person in the car, and remains in custody.

‘My daughter was shaking’: Witnesses recount the horror

Images from the scene in Vancouver showed the bodies of victims lying on the pavement near a row of colourful food trucks. Others were seen helping the injured on a road covered in debris, including what appeared to be a motorised scooter.

A witness told Reuters he saw around 15 people lying on the ground after the SUV drove into the crowd. The driver tried to escape but was chased and held against a fence for about 10 minutes until police arrived.

Another witness told radio station 730 CKNW that he saw the SUV driving “recklessly” before the tragic incident.

“He was going through our neighbourhood and he was driving too fast,” Colton said.

Mable Elmore, a member of the British Columbia Legislative Assembly, said, “Everybody was happy and getting ready to go. And that’s when, that’s when the incident happened.”

Carayn Nulada explained how she pulled her granddaughter and grandson off the street, using her body to shield them from the SUV. She said her daughter narrowly avoided being hit.

“The car hit her arm and she fell down, but she got up, looking for us, because she was scared,” Nulada told AP. She described children screaming and victims lying on the ground, some wedged under vehicles.

“I saw people running, and my daughter was shaking,” Nulada added.

Vincent Reynon, 17, was leaving the festival when he saw police rushing to the scene. He saw people crying and bodies on the ground. “It was like something straight out of a horror movie or a nightmare,” he said.

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney said the nation was “shocked, devastated and heartbroken,” and cancelled final rallies in Calgary, Richmond, and British Columbia ahead of Monday’s federal election.

“Last night, families lost a sister, a brother, a mother, a father, a son, or a daughter,” Carney said.

“Those families are living every family’s nightmare.”

What is Lapu-Lapu Day?

Thousands came together in Vancouver to celebrate Lapu-Lapu Day, which honours a Filipino national hero known for fighting Spanish colonisation.

The festival, particularly popular in the central Philippines, pays tribute to Datu Lapu-Lapu, the chieftain who defeated Spanish forces led by Ferdinand Magellan at the Battle of Mactan in 1521.

In 2023, the government of British Columbia officially declared April 27 as Lapu-Lapu Day, recognising the cultural contributions of the Filipino-Canadian community, one of the province’s largest immigrant groups.

Lapu-Lapu’s triumph is remembered across the Philippines as a powerful symbol of the nation’s stand against colonisation and the courage of its early leaders.

The city of Lapu-Lapu on Mactan Island in the central Philippines carries his name and remains a lasting tribute to his legacy.

With inputs from agencies