Vancouver police have ruled out terrorism after an attack at a Filipino heritage festival left 11 people dead and dozens of others injured. A black Audi SUV struck multiple attendees of the Lapu-Lapu Day festival just after 8 p.m. on April 26.
The man operating the vehicle was arrested after the attack, with police saying he has a history of mental health issues.
Video of the aftermath shows the dead and injured along a narrow street in South Vancouver lined by food trucks. The front of the driver’s SUV is smashed in.
Kris Pangilinan, who brought his pop-up clothing and lifestyle booth to the festival, saw the vehicle enter past the barricade slowly before the driver slammed on the gas in an area that was packed with people after a concert.
Prime Minister Mark Carney cancelled his first campaign event and two major rallies on the final day of the election campaign before Monday’s vote due to the attack.
“Last night families lost a sister, a brother, a mother, father, son or a daughter. Those families are living every family’s nightmare,” Carney said. “And to them and to the many others who were injured, to the Filipino Canadian community, and to everyone in Vancouver, I would like to offer my deepest condolences.”
Vancouver had more than 38,600 residents of Filipino heritage in 2021, representing 5.9% of the city’s total population, according to Statistics Canada, the agency that conducts the national census.
Lapu-Lapu Day celebrates Datu Lapu-Lapu, an Indigenous chieftain who stood up to Spanish explorers who came to the Philippines in the 16th century. The organizers of the Vancouver event— which was in its second year — said that he “represents the soul of native resistance, a powerful force that helped shape the Filipino identity in the face of colonization.”
Organizers of the event said the province won’t let the tragedy define the celebration and urged people to channel their rage into helping those affected.