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CTV News
3 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Suspect in Lapu-Lapu Day attack appears in court
Kai-Ji Adam Lo, the suspect in the Lapu-Lapu Day festival attack that killed 11 people and injured dozens more, has been set a hearing to determine if he is mentally fit to stand trial.
CBC
3 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Lapu-Lapu murder suspect to face trial on mental fitness
Social Sharing Kai-Ji Adam Lo, the suspect in the Vancouver street festival tragedy that left 11 people dead and dozens injured, will face a two-day trial later this summer to determine if he is mentally fit to stand trial for murder. Mark Swartz, Lo's lawyer, requested the trial at a hearing Friday in Vancouver Provincial Court to confirm an in-custody mental health assessment has been completed. The mental fitness trial will be scheduled to run for two days, likely in July, under presiding Judge Reginald Harris. Lo will be required to attend in person. Lo is accused of driving his SUV through a crowd of people at the Filipino community's Lapu-Lapu Day street festival on April 26. He is charged with eight counts of second-degree murder. A five-year-old girl, eight women and two men were killed in the car-ramming. Lo appeared in court Friday via video from where he is being held. He had unruly hair, a thin mustache and was wearing a black sweatshirt. Crown prosecutor Michaela Donnelly requested an updated psychological report be done in the weeks before the mental fitness trial. Harris agreed, stating that in his experience in similar type cases that mental health can change and evolve "dramatically." Some details revealed in Lo's court proceedings so far are under a publication ban and Swartz indicated he will be asking for a similar ban on evidence brought at the trial. Harris said he is required to balance the open court system and the right of media to inform the public versus the possibility of tainting a future jury in a murder trial — if the case comes to that — and preserving Lo's charter right to a fair trial.
Global News
3 days ago
- Global News
Suspect in deadly Vancouver Lapu Lapu Day attack due in court
See more sharing options Send this page to someone via email Share this item on Twitter Share this item via WhatsApp Share this item on Facebook The man accused of killing 11 people and injuring dozens more by driving an SUV into a crowded Vancouver street festival is due in court on Friday. Kai Ji Adam Lo is charged with eight counts of second-degree murder in the tragedy that struck the Lapu Lapu Day street festival on April 26. Friday's hearing is slated to hear a report on Lo's fitness to stand trial, after he was ordered to undergo a mental health assessment. Story continues below advertisement Advocacy group Filipino BC has called the incident a 'social disaster' and said victims and their families are still navigating the 'emotional aftermath.' Get daily National news Get the day's top news, political, economic, and current affairs headlines, delivered to your inbox once a day. Sign up for daily National newsletter Sign Up By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy 'Healing does not follow a straight line. It takes time, care, and community,' the group said in a statement. 'And for many, this past month has been a heavy one.' Earlier this week, members of Parliament held a moment of silence to mark the one-month anniversary of the tragedy. Multiple fundraisers across Canada have raised more than $1 million for victims of the attack.
CBC
4 days ago
- Health
- CBC
1 month later, Lapu-Lapu Day witness, victim reflect on their experience
Social Sharing Rosadene Alcala Apeles was thinking of packing their jewelry booth at the end of the Lapu-Lapu Day festival just over a month ago when they spotted an SUV driving very quickly towards them. Apeles says their table was located close to the unprotected barrier that closed off 43rd Avenue for food trucks and vendors at the festival. "I saw that black SUV — it was coming in pretty hot, and I felt like, this is a school zone. Why is it going so fast?" they told CBC's On the Coast host Gloria Macarenko. "And then the car just didn't stop." Apeles heard tires screeching. And then the car raced out of view. They soon realized they had just witnessed the first injury and the first casualty that took place that evening. 'I am a different person than I was' It's been just over a month since the Lapu-Lapu Day festival tragedy occurred on April 26. Eleven people were killed, and dozens more were injured. The victims include a mother visiting her sons from the Philippines, a family that had come to Canada to escape violence in Colombia, another family that left behind a 16-year-old son who had stayed home that day, and a high school teacher. Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, has since been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder in connection with the crash. Witnesses and those who were injured at the event say they are still recovering — mentally and physically — from what they saw and experienced. 'My hands still shake': Lapu Lapu Day witness speaks 1 month after tragedy 1 day ago Duration 13:39 Rosadene Alcala Apeles, a second-generation mental health-care worker, was a vendor at the Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver where 11 people were killed after a car was driven into them. They say they're still afraid of traffic and loud noises after the tragic crash. "I think that fundamentally I am a different person than I was at the start of that day," Apeles said. "I have come to terms that this event is going to be part of who I am, whether that be for the better or the worse." Some witnesses and victims also say the past month has been a time to reflect: about their community, their families and the state of mental health care in B.C. Apeles, who works as a mental health support worker and harm reduction specialist, says the tragedy has underscored the need for more support for those suffering from mental illness. "If we want a healthy society where these tragedies don't happen, we need to acknowledge that we can't sweep these tragedies under the rug," they said. "The people who enabled this to happen have to apologize. They have to make commitments to do better." 'This was a car that hit you' Christi-Ann Watkins, 43, performed and helped produce the show at the festival. Her 11-year-old son Knox had performed as well. They had just wrapped up at the main stage and decided to grab a bite to eat at one of the food vendors. She was feeling happy about how well everything had turned out. "The vibe was great," Watkins told BC Today host Michelle Eliot. "Although Lapu-Lapu was tragic, it was still a beautiful day for so many people." Organizers of Lapu-Lapu Day festival reflect on one-month anniversary of tragedy 3 days ago Duration 8:52 Monday marks one month since the tragedy at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival in South Vancouver. Eleven people were killed after an SUV was driven into a festival crowd on April 26. The Lapu-Lapu Day event was organized by Filipino B.C. In the past month, the group has been liaising directly with victims' families and organizing supports in the community. To reflect on this, we're joined by Filipino B.C. chair RJ Aquino. Watkins says she was standing near the vendors, holding her son's hand, when out of nowhere she was hit from behind. "I didn't see this car, didn't hear this car, nothing," she said. "And I remember mentally processing what was happening to me that just all of a sudden I just got hit and my brain understood it as, 'This was a car that hit you.'" 'Things could be a lot worse' Watkins fell to the ground. Her whole body was in pain, and it hurt to breathe. She says she just told herself to keep her eyes open and keep breathing. Someone quickly put pressure on her head because she was bleeding. An arm's length away, people were trying to resuscitate a girl with no pulse. She panicked and reached out, worried it was her son. Just then, a friend came up and told her not to worry. She had Knox, and he was safe. South Vancouver neighbourhood creates tighter bond in tragedy aftermath 1 day ago Duration 3:06 Watkins was put in an ambulance and sent to Royal Columbian Hospital in New Westminster. She says she maintained consciousness through it all. Her injuries included a laceration due to blunt force trauma to her head, fractured vertebrae in her neck, fractured ribs, pelvis and knee. She also had a punctured lung, laceration to her spleen and kidney, and road rash from her ankles all the way up to her head. "I'm very aware of the fact that I'm still here and things could be a lot worse," she said. 'I'm here to tell it' Watkins was in hospital for 10 days. She expected to be there for months. While she was there, she accepted a steady stream of visitors, which she credits for her recovery. Hopped up on painkillers, she recounted what happened hundreds of times. "I don't find it daunting," she said. "I just need people to know what happened because I'm here to tell it." Back at home, Watkins still very much struggles with the pain from her injuries. She says it doesn't take much to leave her exhausted. Her husband is on leave from his job to care for her. Focus on the present Despite what happened to her, Watkins says she has chosen not to let anger overcome her. Instead, she is focusing on having a second chance with her family and the present. And also, the outpouring of love and support from her community. Vancouver Filipino community rallies to support festival tragedy survivors 25 days ago Duration 2:42 A week after 11 people were killed and dozens more were injured at Vancouver's Lapu-Lapu Day festival, some victims are still in hospital recovering. As Shaurya Kshatri reports, Vancouver's Filipino community is visiting survivors, hoping to provide support during these difficult times. A month later, she says, fundraisers are still happening. The support is still there. But Watkins isn't leaving negative emotions out entirely. Like Apeles, she is critical of B.C.'s mental health system. "He needs help, too," she said of the suspect, Kai-Ji Adam Lo.
CBC
7 days ago
- CBC
Toronto to put $2.1M toward festival safety this year, city says
Toronto will provide $2.1 million to increase security at festivals this year following a deadly vehicle attack at a community event in Vancouver a month ago, the city says. Speaking to reporters after a summit hosted by the city on festival and event safety, Mayor Olivia Chow said the Vancouver incident made Toronto officials pause. "It was heartbreaking," Chow told reporters. "But collectively, we said, we will never let fear dominate and dictate. Our spirit is stronger, the spirit that comes from working together, the spirit that comes from all the thousands of organizers that organized the most successful festivals, from all over the world." On April 26, a man drove a car into the Lapu-Lapu Day Block Party, a Filipino community festival in Vancouver, killing 11 people and injuring more than two dozen others, according to the Vancouver Police Department. Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, a Vancouver man, has been charged in the attack. The money, which the city will pull together by reallocating resources, will be distributed through its Special Events Stabilization Initiative, a program launched last year to provide financial help to festival organizers hard hit by rising costs, including public safety expenses. In 2024, the city offered up to $2 million through the initiative to help cover health, safety and security costs at struggling festivals. Eligible costs include private security expenses, fire and paramedic services as well as "hostile vehicle mitigation" or physical barriers to protect against vehicle attacks. 'We can't let that happen here': councillor Chow said the money is designed to ensure that festivals in Toronto "remain joyous, celebratory and really celebrate the essence of Toronto." The mayor said the city will also provide a $100,000-seed grant in 2025 to allow festival organizers to create a non-profit association to promote their interests. Chow said Monday's safety summit allowed the approximately 150 participating festival organizers to exchange information about safety measures. "We learned a lot about best practices of how we could collectively buy insurance together, what are some of the mitigation effects, how we could work with the emergency services and what kind of things we must do to make sure it's safe," she said. Coun. Mike Colle, who represents Eglinton-Lawrence, said councillors knew the city had to take preventative measures to ensure what happened in Vancouver does not happen in Toronto. "We were all kicked in the stomach when we heard what happened in Vancouver," Colle said. "We can't let that happen here." Colle said whether it's Toronto Waterfront Festival, Pride, the Caribbean Festival or TIFF, special events build community, generate revenue for businesses and bring thousands of people to the city and it's important that they are safe. Pat Tobin, the city's general manager of economic, development and culture, said the funds in the initiative are available on an application and assessment basis. The city will start accepting applications June 16. To apply, Tobin said an organization must be an incorporated not-for-profit group with a track record of running an event in Toronto, and eligible expenses must relate to core security costs. WATCH | City to provide $2.65M to 64 festivals this year: What you need to know about Toronto's summer festivals 1 month ago Duration 2:23 Danilo Baluyot, executive director of Taste of Manila, which runs Aug. 16 to 17, said that festival is already over budget for security enhancements. Security, excluding barriers, costs more than 10 per cent of the total festival budget, he said. Baluyot said the festival organizers are "very thankful" that the city will provide funds for public safety. "A top priority is the security and safety of all attendees at the festival," Baluyot said. "We are going to do our best to keep this festival a safe one for everyone." Funds welcome with budgets limited: organizer Kristyn Gelfand, managing director of Uma Nota Culture, a third-party contractor for Do West Fest, one of the largest street festivals in Toronto, said "hostile vehicle mitigation" is particularly costly. If it were to implement the security measure, Do West Fest, which runs June 6 to 8, would need mitigation at five intersections Gelfand said. "Of course, we want our events to be as safe as possible, but we're working within limited budgets that have already been set for this calendar year," Gelfand said. "That additional support from the city has me feeling very optimistic." In April, the city announced it would provide $2.65 million to 64 festivals that were struggling financially. That funding was provided through the Cultural Festivals Funding Program.
