What we know about the deadly car ramming at a Vancouver street festival

A packed festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, to celebrate Filipino culture ended in tragedy Saturday night when a vehicle plowed into a crowd, killing 11 people and injuring dozens.

A 30-year-old man was arrested and charged with several counts of murder in connection with an attack that officials do not believe was an act of terrorism.

Here’s what we know so far:

The crash

The attack happened on East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street shortly after 8:14 p.m. local time, police said on X. People were at the Lapu-Lapu Day block party in East Vancouver, an annual event that celebrates the Filipino culture.

Yoseb Vardeh, who co-owns a food truck at the festival, told the Vancouver Sun that he heard an engine revving moments before a speeding vehicle drove straight down the middle of a pedestrian-only area. He said when he walked out of his food truck, he saw “bodies everywhere.”

Clothing vendor Kris Pangilinan told The Associated Press that he heard what sounded “like an F1 car about to start a race” immediately followed by screams. He said he could hear the sound of bodies hitting the hood of the SUV as it sped through the street.

“All I can remember is seeing bodies flying up in the air higher than the food trucks themselves and landing on the ground and people yelling and screaming,” he said.

Adonis Quita, who was with his 9-year-old son, told the AP that the vehicle struck families waiting in line for food.

In a video posted on social media, what appears to be the suspect’s black SUV is seen stopped in the middle of the street as first responders tend to victims.

“Last night, as members of Vancouver’s Filipino community gathered for a celebration of community and culture in East Vancouver, their collective safety and security were stolen when a man in a vehicle drove through a festival,” the city’s interim police chief, Steve Rai, said Sunday.

Before the festival, police worked with the city to assess risks and found “no known threats to the event or to the Filipino community,” Rai explained. He said that, as a result, it was determined that police officers and heavy vehicle barricades were not necessary at the festival site.

Officials said they do not believe the attack was an act of terrorism.

Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said he was “shocked and deeply saddened” by the incident.

“Our thoughts are with all those affected and with Vancouver’s Filipino community during this incredibly difficult time,” he said in a post on X.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney laid flowers at a memorial site.

“In this incredibly difficult moment, we will comfort the grieving, care for one another, and unite in common purpose,” he said in a post on X.

The city said the Canadian flag will be flown at half-staff at all city buildings until further notice to honor the victims.

The death toll

Eleven people, aged 5 to 65, were killed and more than two dozen injured, police said, warning that the death toll could climb.

Rai said that victims were taken to nine hospitals. Deana Lancaster, a spokesperson for Vancouver General Hospital, said it had received multiple patients.

Authorities have not publicly named the victims.

What is Lapu-Lapu Day?

In 2023, the province of British Columbia declared April 27 to be Lapu-Lapu Day to celebrate the legacy of Datu Lapu-Lapu, a fearless Indigenous Visayan chieftain who was the first to rise against the tide of Spanish colonization, the festival’s website states. He is often regarded as the first national hero of the Philippines.

Last year was the inaugural block party.

Headliners for the event were Filipino American artists Apl.de.Ap and J. Rey Soul from the group Black Eyed Peas.

Apl.de.Ap said he and J. Rey Soul had just finished performing and left the stage minutes before the crash.

“It’s hard to describe the shock and the heaviness we feel,” he wrote on Instagram. “Please keep the victims, their families, and the organizers in your prayers. They need all the love and strength right now. The one thing I have noticed — from the audience to the messages sent around, is the sense of community that wraps its loving arms around us. We love you all.”

“We came to Vancouver to celebrate and be with our community … devastated beyond words to learn about the tragedy that unfolded,” J. Rey Soul said. “Still in shock. Thoughts and prayers to everyone and all the families affected. Sending love and prayers to all the Filipinos in BC.”

Filipino BC said in a statement on Instagram: “We are still finding the words to express the deep heartbreak brought on by this senseless tragedy. We are devastated for the families and victims.”

The suspect

Police identified the driver as 30-year-old Kai-Ji Adam Lo. He’s been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder, and police say further charges are anticipated.  

Authorities said the suspect is a Vancouver resident who has a history of mental illness, and he is known to police.

Mayor Sim said officials believe “that mental health appears to be the underlying issue here.”