27-04-2025
LAPD increases security at Thai Town festival after deadly Vancouver attack
Security is increasing at a popular Los Angeles street festival following the tragic and deadly attack in Vancouver on Saturday night.
The 16th Annual Thai New Year Songkran Festival, which runs all day, is active on Hollywood Boulevard between Western and Normandie Avenues. The East Hollywood festival celebrating Thai New Year is now under heavy surveillance by the Los Angeles Police Department.
At about 8 p.m. on Saturday, a 30-year-old man drove a vehicle into a crowd of people at a Filipino heritage festival in Vancouver, Canada. As of Sunday morning, 11 people were dead and as many as 20 were injured.
The death toll is expected to rise in the coming days, authorities said.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, who is preparing for a national election on Monday, said one person is in custody, and it's believed he acted alone. The suspect has a 'significant' history of police interactions, according to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.
The Vancouver Police Department said authorities are 'confident' that the violence was not an act of terrorism, as there's no evidence that there was 'political or religious ideology' behind it.
Back in L.A., extra barriers were added to block vehicles from entering the festival area. Patrolling officers will be on 'high alert.'
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