Vancouver tragedy: What we know about the victims and the accused in the Filipino festival vehicle ramming
At least 11 people are dead and more than two dozen are injured after a driver rammed through
a Filipino street festival in Vancouver
on Saturday night.
The vehicle,
reported by witnesses to be a black SUV
, left victims, debris and chaos in its wake, with those who were at the scene describing their families being separated and bodies flying high into the air.
Steve Rai, interim chief of the Vancouver Police Department says an attack that has killed 11 people is the 'darkest day' in the city's history. (April 27, 2025 / The Canadian Press)
Here's what we know — and what we don't know — so far.
The suspect 'drove into a large crowd,' according to police, at the street festival at East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street just after 8 p.m. local time Saturday.
Vancouver police's interim chief, Steve Rai, confirmed at a Sunday news conference that the death toll had reached 11. It's a toll that could rise, he added.
The 11 people killed ranged in age from five to 65, Rai said later Sunday afternoon.
Amanda Lewis, a public affairs officer with the Ministry of Health, told the Star that 32 victims were seen at hospitals around B.C.'s Lower Mainland, including Vancouver General Hospital, Richmond Hospital and Lions Gate Hospital.
Lewis added that 17 patients are still in hospital, with 'some in critical and serious condition and others with non-life-threatening injuries.' Nine of those patients remain at Vancouver General Hospital, a spokesperson for the hospital said.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney on Sunday placed flowers and lit a candle at a memorial for those killed in an attack in Vancouver over the weekend. (AP Video / April 28, 2025)
Police have set up a 24-hour
assistance centre
for the victims.
The driver, 30-year-old Vancouver resident, Kai-Ji Adam Lo was arrested at the scene, Vancouver police announced Sunday evening. He has been charged with eight counts of murder.
The driver was apprehended by a crowd of people before he was taken into police custody, Rai said.
Carney said police believe the suspect acted alone.
Lo had a 'significant history' of mental-health-related interactions with police. He had no prior criminal record, according to court records.
The suspect was 'known to police,' Rai confirmed. Vancouver police have said that this was not 'an act of terrorism.'
Early last year, Lo organized a fundraising page to cover the funeral costs for his brother, Alexander, who had died.
Alexander Lo's body was found on Jan. 28, 2024, after police were called to a home in Vancouver at around 1 a.m. Dwight William Kematch, 39, was charged with second-degree murder.
Lo, who thanked donors for their support after the page raised over $9,000, shared how he and his family were devastated by his brother's death. In a September update, he said his mother, deeply troubled about the death of her son and stressed from climbing bills, had attempted suicide.
Lapu-Lapu Day is one of the biggest celebrations in the Philippines and was officially recognized by British Columbia two years ago.
The day is named after an Indigenous resistance fighter in the Philippines who fought against Spanish colonization in the 16th century.
Filipino BC Chair RJ Aquino addressed a crowd of hundreds of mourners who attended a vigil at Vancouver's Kensington Park on Sunday April 27, less than 24 hours after a vehicle plowed through a crowd celebrating the Lapu Lapu day festival. (April 28, 2025 / The Canadian Press)
Organizers had said it was an opportunity to mark 'the enduring impact on Filipino values, notably the spirit of bayanihan — the collective community effort.'
Vancouver Coun. Pete Fry said he saw a site safety plan in place, including barricades, when he attended Lapu-Lapu earlier Saturday night.
'I understand this heinous act of vehicular violence might have taken place during load out,' Fry said in an email. 'I think any hypothesis of how this happened might have to wait until the police investigation.'
Rai confirmed that police had created a risk assessment for the festival and would be reviewing its safety planning for the event.
Any potential motivations for the attack at this point remain unknown.
It is also unclear exactly how the suspect was known to police.
A 30-year-old man was charged with multiple counts of murder on allegations he killed 11 people when he rammed a crowd of people at a Filipino heritage festival in Vancouver, as hundreds attended vigils across the city for the victims. (AP Video / April 28, 2025)
Police have yet to confirm the full number of those injured from the attack. Heed, the Richmond city councillor, told the Star he'd heard from authorities that six victims were at one point in 'very critical condition,' but that has not been confirmed by authorities.
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