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Vancouver Sun
30-04-2025
- Vancouver Sun
Kira Salim, Lapu Lapu Day victim, was 'full of light'
Article content Kira Salim, a 34-year-old teacher-counsellor at Fraser River Middle School and New Westminster Secondary School, has been identified as one of the victims in the April 26 events. Article content Article content 'Kira was a valued member of our community whose wisdom and care for our middle and secondary school students had a powerful impact,' read a joint letter shared by board chair Maya Russell and superintendent Mark Davidson of the New Westminster school board. 'Their work, and the great spirit they brought to it, changed lives. Article content Article content 'The loss of our friend and colleague has left us all shocked and heartbroken. We extend our deepest condolences to Kira's family, friends, and all who were fortunate to know them.' Article content Article content A relative in Brazil said the family is deeply shocked, and is not giving any interviews, but wanted to say that Kira was a 'truly brilliant soul.' Article content An animal protection agency in Rio de Janeiro recounted the time Salim walked into an overcrowded shelter housing more than 1,000 abandoned dogs and deliberately chose one that a worker had labeled difficult and a biter. When asked why they chose that dog, Salim said: 'If even the handler discriminates (against) her, she will never have a chance. I know if I don't adopt her today, I'll never get this out of my head.' Article content Article content Salim took the puppy — later named Zoe — to Canada when she moved. Article content A GoFundMe page set up for Salim described them as 'full of light, joy and deeply loved' by those who knew them. Article content The funds will go towards supporting Salim's partner Kim, their dog Zoe and five cats, said organizer Patricia Avelino, a friend and fellow Brazilian living in Canada.
Hamilton Spectator
29-04-2025
- Hamilton Spectator
A family of three migrants from Colombia among Vancouver festival victims
VANCOUVER - More of the dead are being identified in the attack where an after an SUV drove down a street crowded with people at a Vancouver festival. Police also say that 10 people remain in hospital, including a 22-month-old boy who is in serious condition. DANIEL SAMPER, GLITZA MARIA CAICEDO AND THEIR DAUGHTER GLITZA DANIELA SAMPER Daniel Samper, his wife Glitza Maria Caicedo, and their daughter Glitza Daniela Samper were among 11 people killed at the Filipino festival on April 27. The family immigrated, along with their son, Alejandro, from Colombia to Vancouver in the early 2000s to start a new life. Alejandro Samper said in interview Tuesday that his family was his whole world, and that his parents sacrificed everything to move them to Canada, in part to escape the violence that occurred in their native Colombia. Samper says his parents were the 'nicest people' who helped many others, and the family was 'very, very close.' RICHARD LE, LIN HOANG AND DAUGHTER KATIE LE Richard Le, 47, was a Realtor who had been attending the Lapu Lapu Day festival with his wife and daughter. Toan Le says his older brother was always there when he needed help. 'I remember when I was a kid, I was bullied, and he stepped in, and he ended up getting beat up,' he said in an interview. A statement from Royal Pacific Realty says Le had been with the company for more than 15 years, and he was also a 'passionate badminton and tennis coach' who spent countless hours mentoring young people. David Choi, president of Royal Pacific Realty, says 'Richard's legacy of kindness, mentorship, and professional excellence will live on in the many lives he touched.' Toan Le says Linh Hoang, 30, was a lovely person, and 'a dedicated mother' to Katie and her 16-year-old stepbrother Andy. Andy did not attend the festival and instead stayed home to finish his homework. Toan Le says five-year-old Katie Le 'was super energetic.' 'She had a very lovable personality, and she really loved just being around people,' he says. KIRA SALIM Salim was a teacher-counsellor at Fraser River Middle School and New Westminster Secondary School. A statement from the superintendent of the school district says Salim's wisdom and care for students had a powerful impact. 'Their work, and the great spirit they brought to it, changed lives,' the statement says of Salim. LGBTQ advocacy group New West Pride posted a tribute, saying Salim was 'an epic drag king, a wonderful exuberant contributor to our local community, volunteer, activist, local educator, mental health worker.' The School of Music at the University of British Columbia says in a statement on Facebook that Salim worked at the school's front desk in 2023. It says that they were a 'much-loved member of our community,' as well as noting their roles as activist and educator. This report by The Canadian Press was first published April. 29, 2025.
Yahoo
29-04-2025
- Yahoo
A 'joyful' pre-schooler and her parents among victims of Vancouver attack
Victims of the car attack that left 11 people dead at a festival in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday have not yet been named by police, but they are now being identified online by family and colleagues. The victims, nine females and two males, range in age from a five-year-old girl to a 65-year-old man. More than two dozen other people were injured, according to police. Up to 100,000 revellers were celebrating the Lapu-Lapu festival in Canada's largest west coast city when the attack occurred. A 30-year-old man has been arrested and is facing multiple murder charges. Officials have not yet released a motive, but say the case is not being treated as terrorism. Seven victims in hospital were in a critical condition, according to Vancouver police spokesman Sgt Steve Addison. Three others were in a serious condition. Here's what we know about some of those who have been identified in social media posts and on fundraising pages by family and colleagues. Katie Le, five, was the youngest person to die in the attack. She was killed along with her father, Richard Le, 47, and mother Linh Hoang, 30. Her 16-year-old brother, who stayed home from the festival to do homework, is the family's sole survivor, a relative wrote on a GoFundMe page. "This event was meant to be a joyful community gathering, celebrating unity and the strength of a connected people," wrote Richard Le's brother, Toan Le. Katie was about to graduate from kindergarten, and was "vibrant, joyful, and full of life". Toan Le remembered his brother Richard Le as "a dedicated father, badminton and tennis coach, and real estate professional". "He devoted his life to teaching young people the values of sportsmanship and team spirit. He served his community and clients with pride and always went out of his way to help others," he wrote. Linh Hoang "was known for her kindness and gentle spirit", and had recently been planning a trip to visit family in Vietnam. Toan Le told CTV News the 16-year-old survivor was still in shock. "He's still trying to absorb the situation, and I don't think he is fully comprehending what has happened," he said, adding that the boy was in the care of family. Kira Salim, a teacher and counsellor at Fraser River Middle School and New Westminster Secondary School, was among those killed. "Kira was a valued member of our community whose wisdom and care for our middle and secondary school students had a powerful impact," school officials Maya Russell and Mark Davidson wrote in a statement. "The loss of our friend and colleague has left us all shocked and heartbroken," they added. "We recognize Kira's passing may be difficult to process," the school district's statement said. "We are a small but mighty community. This is one of the qualities of New Westminster that Kira loved the most," they wrote. Salim is described in a LinkedIn page as a mental health provider and educator. "My personal mission is facilitating and guiding youth and marginalized communities to thrive in their lives while creating a diverse and equitable environment that uplifts different strengths and personalities while providing customized and innovative solutions to support patients," Salim wrote. Salim wrote in a post that it "is a dream come true" after taking a job at Frazer River Middle School nine months ago. New West Pride, an LGBT advocacy group, memorialised Salim with a photo. "They were an epic drag king, a wonderful exuberant contributer [sic] to our local community, volunteer, activist, local educator, mental health worker," the group wrote. "Kira will be deeply missed." Girl, 5, among Vancouver dead as suspect charged What we know about the Vancouver car ramming attack Sorrow and fury among Vancouver's Filipinos after attack on festival
BBC News
29-04-2025
- BBC News
Vancouver car attack: What we know about the victims
Victims of the car attack that left 11 people dead at a festival in Vancouver, Canada, on Saturday have not yet been named by police, but they are now being identified online by family and colleagues. The victims, nine females and two males, range in age from a five-year-old girl to a 65-year-old man. More than two dozen other people were injured, according to police. Up to 100,000 revellers were celebrating the Lapu-Lapu festival in Canada's largest west coast city when the attack occurred. A 30-year-old man has been arrested and is facing multiple murder charges. Officials have not yet released a motive, but say the case is not being treated as terrorism. Seven victims in hospital were in a critical condition, according to Vancouver police spokesman Sgt Steve Addison. Three others were in a serious condition. Here's what we know about some of those who have been identified in social media posts and on fundraising pages by family and colleagues. The Le family - ages 5, 30 and 47 Katie Le, five, was the youngest person to die in the attack. She was killed along with her father, Richard Le, 47, and mother Linh Hoang, 16-year-old brother, who stayed home from the festival to do homework, is the family's sole survivor, a relative wrote on a GoFundMe page. "This event was meant to be a joyful community gathering, celebrating unity and the strength of a connected people," wrote Richard Le's brother, Toan Le. Katie was about to graduate from kindergarten, and was "vibrant, joyful, and full of life". Toan Le remembered his brother Richard Le as "a dedicated father, badminton and tennis coach, and real estate professional"."He devoted his life to teaching young people the values of sportsmanship and team spirit. He served his community and clients with pride and always went out of his way to help others," he Hoang "was known for her kindness and gentle spirit", and had recently been planning a trip to visit family in Le told CTV News the 16-year-old survivor was still in shock. "He's still trying to absorb the situation, and I don't think he is fully comprehending what has happened," he said, adding that the boy was in the care of family. Kira Salim Kira Salim, a teacher and counsellor at Fraser River Middle School and New Westminster Secondary School, was among those killed."Kira was a valued member of our community whose wisdom and care for our middle and secondary school students had a powerful impact," school officials Maya Russell and Mark Davidson wrote in a statement. "The loss of our friend and colleague has left us all shocked and heartbroken," they added."We recognize Kira's passing may be difficult to process," the school district's statement said. "We are a small but mighty community. This is one of the qualities of New Westminster that Kira loved the most," they is described in a LinkedIn page as a mental health provider and educator. "My personal mission is facilitating and guiding youth and marginalized communities to thrive in their lives while creating a diverse and equitable environment that uplifts different strengths and personalities while providing customized and innovative solutions to support patients," Salim wrote in a post that it "is a dream come true" after taking a job at Frazer River Middle School nine months West Pride, an LGBT advocacy group, memorialised Salim with a photo. "They were an epic drag king, a wonderful exuberant contributer [sic] to our local community, volunteer, activist, local educator, mental health worker," the group wrote. "Kira will be deeply missed."
Hindustan Times
29-04-2025
- Hindustan Times
A beloved teacher, a 5-year-old: Who were the victims of the Vancouver Lapu Lapu Festival attack?
A man drove his car into a crowd during the Lapu Lapu Day Festival in Vancouver on April 26, killing 11 people and more than 30. The victims include a teacher, a real estate agent, the agent's wife, and their 5-year-old daughter. While the Lapu Lapu Day Festival was going on, a driver rammed his SUV into a big crowd, leaving more than 30 injured. The festival was being organized to celebrate the Filipino culture in East Vancouver when the incident occurred. Clothing vendor Kris Pangilinan was quoted telling AP, "All I can remember is seeing bodies flying up in the air higher than the food trucks themselves and landing on the ground and people yelling and screaming." ALSO READ | Who is Cristian Rodrigo Montecino-Sanzana? 2nd suspect in Kristi Noem's bag theft identified as Chilean national Vancouver Police have identified and arrested the accused, Kai-Ji Adam Lo, aged 30. He was charged with multiple counts of second-degree murder. Meanwhile, Interim Police Chief Steve Rai has stated that this was the "darkest day" in the history of Vancouver, according to AP. The victims of the attack ranged within the age of 5-65, according to police authorities. Among them was Kira Salim, worked as an educator and counsellor at the Fraser River Middle School and New Westminster Secondary School. Richard Le, a real-estate agent and his family comprising of his 30-year-old wife Linh Hoang, and their 5-year-old daughter were also the victims of this tragic incident. The little child was a kindergartener who "was vibrant and joyful", according to a post on GoFundMe. Richard's younger brother Toan was quoted telling CTV News that Richard's 16-year-old son, Andy was also supposed to join the three at the festival. However, he decided to stay back home to finish some homework. The last message that Andy received from his father was sometime after 8pm which said that the family was heading home. Little did he know that this was the last communication Andy would be having with his father.
