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Vancouver Sun
30-05-2025
- Vancouver Sun
Suspect in Lapu Lapu festival killings makes second appearance in Vancouver court
The man charged with eight counts of murder after 11 people were killed and several more injured at an outdoor Filipino community festival last month appeared briefly by video in Vancouver provincial court on Friday. It was the second court appearance for Kai-ji Adam Lo, 30, who remains in custody. At his previous appearance in the same court about three weeks ago, Lo had been sent for a psychiatric assessment. He is scheduled to return to court in a week to set a date for his next appearance, for legal arguments on whether he is mentally fit to stand trial. Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. At the previous appearance, Judge Reg Harris at the start of the hearing to hear an application from Lo's lawyer, Mark Swartz, imposed a publication ban on any submissions by Swartz or prosecutor Michaela Donnelly, but specifically allowed reporting of the order for a psychiatric assessment. Such publications bans are common in pretrial hearings to protect the trial process, especially if the accused chooses to be tried by jury and judge. Lo was arrested on April 26 and charged with eight counts of second-degree murder after someone drove a black SUV through a crowd of people 15 minutes after the end of a daylong festival held by Vancouver's Filipino community to celebrate Lapu Lapu Day near 41st Avenue and Fraser Street in east Vancouver. Among those killed were a five-year-old girl and her parents, and the oldest person killed was 65 years old. Vancouver Police have said more charges are possible.
The Province
02-05-2025
- The Province
A day before Vancouver's festival killing, the suspect told police items were thrown into his SUV
Kai-ji Adam Lo called Richmond RCMP the day before he allegedly killed 11 people and claimed someone was throwing things into his SUV. Vancouver police on the street where 11 people were killed by a speeding vehicle on during Lapu Lapu Day celebrations on April 27, 2025. Photo by NICK PROCAYLO / PNG Accused mass murderer Kai-ji Adam Lo called Richmond RCMP the day before 11 people were killed at a Filipino street festival and claimed someone had thrown something into his SUV. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors An officer talked to Lo on the phone just before 3 a.m. on Friday, but there was no further followup, a police source said. The Mountie then made an entry into a police computer system known as PRIME. Sources said Lo was considered a 'frequent flyer' who called police regularly about his fears people were doing things to him and to the black SUV that police say mowed people down at the Lapu Lapu Day festival just after 8 p.m. on Saturday. He was on 'extended release' from hospital and under the care of a mental-health team, Vancouver Coastal Health confirmed earlier. Richmond RCMP Cpl. Adriana O'Malley wouldn't comment on the interaction with Lo on Friday 'due to privacy reasons.' Vancouver police Sgt. Steve Addison said the VPD became aware of the April 25 interaction with police only after the killings. He said investigators ran the suspect's name through the PRIME database and got a hit for the April 25 incident. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. But he said earlier that Lo had many mental-health interactions with police before Saturday. Dr. Bill MacEwan, a psychiatrist who works at the Surrey pretrial jail, told Postmedia News that the volume of Lo's calls and interactions with police and Lo's apparent level of paranoia should have raised red flags for his mental-health team. 'The question is, 'If they did see him, did they reassess how he was doing? Was he actually getting adequate treatment?'' MacEwan asked Wednesday. 'If they were not following up and not hearing about these episodes and then taking them into account … the system is failing.' MacEwan said mental-health teams meet regularly with those under their care in the community to ensure they're taking medications and abiding by other release conditions. Meetings are usually more frequent if someone requires extra monitoring, he said. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Even if Lo, a diagnosed schizophrenic, was on his medication, 'the degree of paranoia is not something that should be ignored,' MacEwan said. Vancouver police wouldn't provide more details Wednesday about the mental-health-related interactions they had with Lo. The east Vancouver resident is facing eight counts of second-degree murder, but more charges are anticipated. Postmedia reported Sunday that Lo's spiralling mental health led a family member to contact a psychiatric facility hours before the deadly rampage. Vancouver Coastal Health said in its statement that there was no prior sign that Lo was 'a public safety risk.' Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said Wednesday he's working with community leaders to plan a public memorial for the Lapu Lapu victims that will be held in about two weeks. And he said he wants a provincial government commission into the vehicle attack to 'deal with the very real mental-health crisis across B.C.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. He said learning Lo was under the care of a mental-health team and had been in hospital 'is incredibly difficult to hear and even harder to accept, because it points to a deeper failure in the mental-health system.' 'I've said this before, and I will say it again, the mental-health crisis is not just a health crisis. It has become a public safety crisis.' Interim Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai agreed, adding 'the system needs to be strengthened and expanded. We need a comprehensive system. The police are only one pillar of a wider solution.' He said while the vast majority of people with mental illness aren't violent, 'it's that gap in the system with the most violent indicators that we have to ensure all the resources are there to help someone in crises.' Neither police nor health-care officials would comment on whether Lo was supposed to be driving the vehicle he co-owned with his mother Lisa, given his fragile mental state. ICBC said in an email that 'for the safety of everyone, drivers must be medically fit to drive a vehicle in B.C.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. The agency provided a link to its site that says healthcare professionals 'must report patients they believe may be medically unfit to drive to RoadSafetyBC.' Premier David Eby announced that the province has declared Friday as a day of mourning to remember those lost and injured in the mass murder. And he also announced there would be a review and modernization of the Mental Health Act. 'What we are hearing from British Columbians is that we need to accelerate that work and that is what we are doing,' Eby said. But he also urged people not to assume the mental-health system failed in the Lo case. 'Before we throw a care team under the bus, before we say that they did something wrong, failing to identify some kind of issue, let's make sure that that's actually the case,' Eby said. 'I ask people to reserve judgment and not speculate until we know. We will get the answers.' kbolan@ @ Read More Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Whitecaps BC Lions News
The Province
02-05-2025
- The Province
Accused killer in Lapu Lapu Day tragedy to appear in B.C. court Friday
Court appearance for Kai-ji Adam Lo, the accused in Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day killings, has been moved up to Friday Members of the Vancouver Police forensics team examine the scene where a vehicle drove into a crowd at a Lapu Lapu Day street festival Saturday evening in Vancouver, Sunday, April 27, 2025. Photo by Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press As Vancouver tries to move to a new normal after Saturday's mass killing at a Filipino festival, accused killer Kai-ji Adam Lo will make his next appearance in court Friday afternoon. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by top sports columnists Patrick Johnston, Ben Kuzma, J.J. Abrams and others. Plus, Canucks Report, Sports and Headline News newsletters and events. Unlimited online access to The Province and 15 news sites with one account. The Province ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles and comics, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Lo, who is facing eight counts of second-degree murder, was supposed to be back in Vancouver provincial court May 26, but Damienne Darby of the B.C. Prosecution Service said the date change was requested by Lo's lawyer, Mark Swartz. Swartz didn't respond to a request for comment Thursday. Lo allegedly plowed through a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival off of Fraser Street on Saturday night, killing 11 and injuring dozens more. Vancouver police Sgt. Steve Addison confirmed Thursday that Lo had a valid B.C. driver's licence despite his history of mental-health interactions with police. Postmedia News reported that just the day before the vehicle rampage, Lo contacted Richmond RCMP and told an officer he was worried that someone was throwing things in the back of his vehicle. The call was documented in the police database PRIME, where VPD officers saw it after Lo was arrested. Essential reading for hockey fans who eat, sleep, Canucks, repeat. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Addison said that of the surviving victims 13 remain in hospital — four in critical condition and two in serious condition. 'All of the streets have now reopened,' he said. 'We really thank everybody for their patience and understanding, particularly people who live in the neighbourhood, particularly people who have businesses in the neighbourhood that were impacted by the rather large closures that were there.' Investigators are still looking for more witnesses and want the public to turn over any video or photo evidence they have. The VPD said the community support centre set up on East 43rd Avenue will remain open all weekend from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. VPD Insp. Jeff Neuman said Thursday that additional resources will be in place for this weekend's BMO marathon, as well as other events and protests scheduled in the city. Four hundred officers will be working, including 200 'deployed to the marathon,' Neuman said. Both heavy-vehicle and light-vehicle barriers will be in place. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Multiple people were killed and many injured after a black SUV sped through crowds at the Lapu Lapu Day festival. Photo by SUBMITTED / POSTMEDIA Addison also provided information about the VPD's mental-health services, which include an investigative unit with 21 constables and two sergeants, as well as the Car 87 program — a joint initiative with Vancouver Coastal Health, where eight officers are partnered with nurses to respond to mental-health crises. VCH confirmed earlier that Lo was on an extended release from hospital and in the care of a mental-health team at the time of the murders. Politicians have called all week for better support for those with extreme mental illness. Premier David Eby announced there will be a review of the Mental Health Act. But Richmond Coun. Kash Heed said Eby should have been doing more. Heed brought a motion to his city council that passed 18 months ago urging the province to create more 'secure care for individuals suffering from acute drug addiction and critical mental illness.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Heed said Thursday they never heard back from the premier. New Westminster Coun. Daniel Fontaine is bringing forward a similar motion to his city council, he said Thursday. 'We're trying to put pressure on the province,' he said. 'I certainly hope that municipalities across the Lower Mainland in particular all speak out about what their perspectives are, and they speak out for change, because this is the time to do it and to build that momentum.' Meanwhile, things were beginning to return to normal for businesses along Fraser Street, though fragrant piles of flowers, notes and cards had been left at almost every street corner between East 41st and East 44th avenues. At Multiple Insurance Services, Gagan Sandhar said the pain from Saturday's tragedy is still palpable. 'It's very sad. You can sense there's been a change,' he said, adding that earlier in the week it felt like Zombieland outside on the street. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Abdul Jabbar Bhatti reopened his Lead Tech Services shop on Wednesday after the street was no longer cordoned off by police. 'It's been very stressful,' he said. The attack is 'definitely' all people are talking about. He had been working all day Saturday while the festival was on, but got a call from his family at about 7 p.m. to come home for dinner. So he left. 'What happened was a shock for all of us. Filipinos are very nice people. It's just terrible,' Bhatti said. Some businesses between 43rd and 44th avenues remain closed. Prasarath Ariyanathan, who works at Thurga Grocery, said he was in the back of the shop when the tragedy unfolded after 8 p.m. on Saturday. He wasn't aware something had happened until he heard and saw ambulances and police racing to the scene. He said customers are coming back now. Some are calling ahead to make sure the Sri Lankan grocery is open. The international student agreed that things don't quite seem as they were before. 'It will take some time to get over this,' he said. 'Time is the solution for all of us.' kbolan@ Read More Vancouver Canucks Vancouver Canucks BC Lions Vancouver Whitecaps Sports
Toronto Sun
02-05-2025
- Toronto Sun
Accused killer in Lapu Lapu Day tragedy to appear in B.C. court Friday
Court appearance for Kai-ji Adam Lo, accused in Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day tragedy, moved up to Friday Members of the Vancouver police forensics team examine the scene on Sunday, April 27, where an SUV drove into a crowd at a Lapu Lapu Day festival on Saturday evening. Photo by Sean Kilpatrick / The Canadian Press As Vancouver tries to move to a new normal after Saturday's mass killing at a Filipino festival, accused killer Kai-ji Adam Lo will make his next appearance in court Friday afternoon. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account Lo, who is facing eight counts of second-degree murder, was supposed to be back in Vancouver provincial court May 26, but Damienne Darby of the B.C. Prosecution Service said the date change was requested by Lo's lawyer, Mark Swartz. Swartz didn't respond to a request for comment Thursday. Lo allegedly plowed through a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival off of Fraser Street on Saturday night, killing 11 and injuring dozens more. Vancouver police Sgt. Steve Addison confirmed Thursday that Lo had a valid B.C. driver's licence despite his history of mental-health interactions with police. Postmedia News reported that just the day before the vehicle rampage, Lo contacted Richmond RCMP and told an officer he was worried that someone was throwing things in the back of his vehicle. The call was documented in the police database PRIME, where VPD officers saw it after Lo was arrested. Your noon-hour look at what's happening in Toronto and beyond. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Addison said that of the surviving victims 13 remain in hospital — four in critical condition and two in serious condition. 'All of the streets have now reopened,' he said. 'We really thank everybody for their patience and understanding, particularly people who live in the neighbourhood, particularly people who have businesses in the neighbourhood that were impacted by the rather large closures that were there.' Investigators are still looking for more witnesses and want the public to turn over any video or photo evidence they have. The VPD said the community support centre set up on East 43rd Avenue will remain open all weekend from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. VPD Insp. Jeff Neuman said Thursday that additional resources will be in place for this weekend's BMO marathon, as well as other events and protests scheduled in the city. Four hundred officers will be working, including 200 'deployed to the marathon,' Neuman said. Both heavy-vehicle and light-vehicle barriers will be in place. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Multiple people were killed and many injured after a black SUV sped through crowds at the Lapu Lapu Day festival. Photo by SUBMITTED / POSTMEDIA Addison also provided information about the VPD's mental-health services, which include an investigative unit with 21 constables and two sergeants, as well as the Car 87 program — a joint initiative with Vancouver Coastal Health, where eight officers are partnered with nurses to respond to mental-health crises. VCH confirmed earlier that Lo was on an extended release from hospital and in the care of a mental-health team at the time of the murders. Politicians have called all week for better support for those with extreme mental illness. Premier David Eby announced there will be a review of the Mental Health Act. But Richmond Coun. Kash Heed said Eby should have been doing more. Heed brought a motion to his city council that passed 18 months ago urging the province to create more 'secure care for individuals suffering from acute drug addiction and critical mental illness.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Heed said Thursday they never heard back from the premier. New Westminster Coun. Daniel Fontaine is bringing forward a similar motion to his city council, he said Thursday. 'We're trying to put pressure on the province,' he said. 'I certainly hope that municipalities across the Lower Mainland in particular all speak out about what their perspectives are, and they speak out for change, because this is the time to do it and to build that momentum.' Meanwhile, things were beginning to return to normal for businesses along Fraser Street, though fragrant piles of flowers, notes and cards had been left at almost every street corner between East 41st and East 44th avenues. At Multiple Insurance Services, Gagan Sandhar said the pain from Saturday's tragedy is still palpable. 'It's very sad. You can sense there's been a change,' he said, adding that earlier in the week it felt like Zombieland outside on the street. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Abdul Jabbar Bhatti reopened his Lead Tech Services shop on Wednesday after the street was no longer cordoned off by police. 'It's been very stressful,' he said. The attack is 'definitely' all people are talking about. He had been working all day Saturday while the festival was on, but got a call from his family at about 7 p.m. to come home for dinner. So he left. 'What happened was a shock for all of us. Filipinos are very nice people. It's just terrible,' Bhatti said. Some businesses between 43rd and 44th avenues remain closed. Prasarath Ariyanathan, who works at Thurga Grocery, said he was in the back of the shop when the tragedy unfolded after 8 p.m. on Saturday. He wasn't aware something had happened until he heard and saw ambulances and police racing to the scene. He said customers are coming back now. Some are calling ahead to make sure the Sri Lankan grocery is open. The international student agreed that things don't quite seem as they were before. 'It will take some time to get over this,' he said. 'Time is the solution for all of us.' kbolan@ Read More Editorial Cartoons Toronto Maple Leafs Toronto & GTA Toronto & GTA NHL
Ottawa Citizen
01-05-2025
- Ottawa Citizen
Accused kiler in Lapu Lapu Day tragedy to appear in B.C. court Friday
A court appearance for accused mass murderer Kai-ji Adam Lo has been moved up to Friday from May 26. Article content Article content Damienne Darby, communications counsel for the B.C. Prosecution Service, said the date change was requested by Lo's defence lawyer Mark Swartz. Article content 'The matter has been called ahead by defence counsel for an application,' Darby said. Article content She provided no details about the nature of the application. Swartz could not be reached for comment Friday. The appearance is in B.C. Provincial court in Vancouver. Article content Article content Postmedia has reported that just the day before the vehicle rampage, Lo contacted Richmond RCMP and told an officer he was worried that someone was throwing things in the back of his vehicle. The call was documented in the police data base PRIME, where Vancouver Police saw it after Lo was arrested. Article content Lo had many interactions with police because of his delusions and paranoia. But none of them were criminal in nature, VPD Sgt. Steve Addison said earlier. Article content Article content Vancouver Coastal Health confirmed Lo was on an extended release from hospital and in the care of a mental health team at the time of the murders. Article content Article content Politicians this week have called for better support for those with extreme mental illness. Premier David Eby announced there will be a review of the Mental Health Act. Article content Article content But Richmond Councillor Kash Heed said Eby should have been doing more. Heed brought a motion to his council that was passed 18 months ago urging the province to create more 'secure care for individuals suffering from acute drug addiction and critical mental illness.' Article content 'We're trying to put pressure on the province,' he said. 'I certainly hope that municipalities across the Lower Mainland in particular all speak out about what their perspectives are, and they speak out for change, because this is the time to do it and to build that momentum.' Article content Meanwhile things were beginning to return to normal for businesses along Fraser Street Thursday, though fragrant piles of flowers, notes and cards had been left at almost every street corner between East 41st and East 44th Avenues.
