At least nine people are dead and a 30-year-old man is in police custody after allegedly driving into a street festival on Saturday night in Vancouver, Canada.
Thousands of Filipinos were gathered to celebrate Lapu-Lapu Day when a black SUV mowed into a crowd, injuring more than 20 and killing others, Reuters reported.
According to police, the driver was identified as a Vancouver man after he was chased down and stopped by festival attendees until police arrived. Police said the suspect is believed to have acted alone, and he apologized to the crowd as he was detained, the New York Post reported.
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Interim Vancouver police Chief Steve Rai said the suspect was known in “certain circumstances” by police and “everything is on the table” as they investigate the driver’s motive. Police added in an update, “At this time, we are confident that this incident was not an act of terrorism.”
In a post on X, Canadian Prime Minister said he was “devastated to hear about the horrific events.”
“I offer my deepest condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured, to the Filipino Canadian community, and to everyone in Vancouver. We are all mourning with you,” he wrote. “We are monitoring the situation closely, and thankful to our first responders for their swift action.”
In a morning press conference, Carney added: “We will comfort the grieving, we will care for each other, we will unite in common purpose.”
Briefed on the situation, Carney said there is no evidence of “any active threat to Canadians.”
Lapu-Lapu Day is an annual Filipino celebration honoring the Indigenous leader Datu Lapu-Lapu’s fight against Spanish colonization.
