At least 11 people have sadly been confirmed dead after a car drove into festivalgoers in Vancouver.
The incident unfolded on Saturday night.
Authorities have identified the suspect as 30-year-old Vancouver resident Kai-Ji Adam Lo, who was arrested at the scene after allegedly slamming his black SUV into festival-goers at the Lapu Lapu Day event, a celebration of Filipino heritage, per the New York Post.
Lo is currently facing eight charges of second-degree murder — with more expected — as officials assess the scale of the destruction he allegedly caused.
Witness videos captured the terrifying aftermath, with bystanders screaming “Oh my God!” and footage showing bodies scattered among smashed food trucks and debris.
A chilling video even caught a witness shouting: “There’s a baby over there! There’s a baby under the truck.”
Festival-goer Kris Pangilinan described the horrifying scene to CBC: “[He] just slammed the pedal down and rammed into hundreds of people. It was like seeing a bowling ball hit — all the bowling pins and all the pins flying up in the air.”
The chaotic attack unfolded just after 8:00PM, as organizers were dismantling barriers at E. 41st Avenue and Fraser Street. Lo allegedly seized the opening, accelerating into the crowd at an estimated 100km/h (62mph).
“He was going for maximum damage,” said witness Yoseb Vardeh, co-owner of the Bao Buns food truck, speaking to BBC World Service’s Weekend programme.
“I just saw bodies underneath people’s food trucks, and husbands crying out for their wife, or their kids, it was just horrible.”
The youngest victim killed was only five years old, while the oldest was 65.
Emergency crews rushed to the scene, working desperately alongside civilians to treat the wounded.
Graphic images from the scene showed a victim covered with a cloth and multiple ambulances stationed among the wreckage. One EMS unit was filmed administering CPR as others tended to bloodied victims lying motionless on the street.
In an emotional statement, Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai described the devastation as “the darkest day in our city’s history.”
“This is the darkest day in our city’s history,” he said.
Officials have stated they are “confident” the act was not terrorism-related, citing Lo’s documented history of mental health struggles.
Interim Chief Rai added that the suspect was “known” to police and mental health services under “certain circumstances.”
Sources told the Vancouver Sun that Lo’s family sought help just hours before the tragedy, contacting a hospital psychiatric ward because of his increasingly delusional and paranoid behavior. It remains unclear what actions, if any, were taken in response.
Lo’s life had been marred by trauma before the attack. In January 2024, his 31-year-old brother, Alexander, was murdered in Vancouver. A 39-year-old man was later charged with second-degree murder.
Following his brother’s death, Lo wrote on a fundraising page: “Our reality has abruptly shifted. Despite our disagreements, the harsh truth that he’s no longer with us hits me with an overwhelming force.”
In a later update, Lo revealed that his mother had attempted suicide.
Despite these warning signs, police confirmed there were no interactions between law enforcement and Lo immediately leading up to Saturday’s attack.
The Lapu Lapu Day festival, established officially in 2023, honors Datu Lapu-Lapu, a Filipino hero known for resisting Spanish colonization. The event symbolizes “cultural harmony and mutual respect” — making the horror that unfolded even more gut-wrenching for the community.
Politicians across Canada reacted swiftly to the tragedy.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim wrote on X: “I am shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific incident at today’s Lapu Lapu Day event. We will work to provide more information as soon as we can. Our thoughts are with all those affected and with Vancouver’s Filipino community during this incredibly difficult time.”
Conservative candidate for Prime Minister Pierre Poilievre said: “I am shocked by the horrific news emerging from Vancouver’s Lapu Lapu Day Festival tonight. My thoughts are with the Filipino community and all the victims targeted by this senseless attack. Thank you to the first responders who are at the scene as we wait to hear more.”
New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh, who attended the festival earlier in the day, became emotional recounting the contrast between the joyful celebrations and the horror that followed.
“It keeps on playing through my mind,” Singh said in a video posted online. Reflecting on the day, he added: “The kids that were having such an amazing time, such joy, the incredible warmth of the people there.
“I just keep playing through my head such a beautiful celebration and such a family event — people coming together from all ages. No event deserves violence, obviously. It is horrible. Just imagine that joy with the contrast of the horrible death and destruction to happen at an event like that is something I can’t comprehend.”