Latest news with #NicMagtajas
National Post
04-05-2025
- National Post
A family, a festival and how unfathomable tragedy occurred at Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day
Article content 'He started to pick up speed, and then I was like, 'Oh, he's really fast,' and before I knew it, it went right into the crowd.' Article content Pangilinan said there were 'dozens of bodies getting hit by the vehicle and flying in the air.' He described the sound as they landed on the pavement. Article content Article content He later watched as the table where he had been displaying clothing for sale was used as a stretcher to carry victims to ambulances. Article content Nic Magtajas and Jihed Issa were working at a store facing the festival and initially had their backs to the scene when they heard an engine revving. Article content Magtejas turned to see the SUV roaring through the street. Article content 'I saw a bunch of people go over, go high up from the impact of hitting the car,' said Magtajas, 19. 'People were screaming,' said Issa, 17. Article content 'I ran outside to the street, and I was trying to figure out what happened. I made it to halfway into the street, looked around (and) there was a lot of people panicking, people on the floor — bodies.' Article content Victims and debris were strewn over about 100 metres of East 43rd. Article content At the eastern end of the carnage was the black SUV, its front end caved in, the hood buckled. A cap was wedged into the wreckage. Article content Bystanders apprehended the driver, who police said attempted to flee the scene. Video of the moment shows him up against the chain-link fence outside the school, less than 50 metres from the wrecked car. Article content Hip-hop artist Jacob Bureros was among the group who ran down the suspect. Article content 'I ran on this side, there were others running on that side, and they cornered him,' he said in an interview. Article content 'I jumped the fence and came around, and we were there, and everyone was really angry, and he got hit, and then other people kind of protected him and stood around him so that the community couldn't take out community justice on him. Everyone was really angry.' Article content Article content Bureros said the man kept asking people not to hurt him. He saw 'no remorse, no concern, no regret.' Article content Videos show a couple of men, including one in a security uniform, separating the suspect from the screaming crowd gathered around him. 'That's him', 'Smile you piece of shit', 'You know what you did?,' they shout. Article content 'I'm sorry,' the man responds, touching his hand to his head. Article content Among the 11 people killed were teacher-counsellor Kira Salim, artist Jenifer Darbellay, and two families of three — Realtor Richard Le, Lin Hoang and their five-year-old daughter Katie Le; and Colombian immigrants Daniel Samper, his wife Glitza Maria Caicedo, and their adult daughter Glitza Daniela Samper. Article content Van Pham said he was driving down Fraser Street at around 8:20 p.m. with his family when they saw about five police cars rushing by. Article content 'It could have been any one of us,' he said. Article content In August 2020, Alexander Lo had posted a photo taken at Canada Place, the waters of Burrard Inlet in the background. Article content 'Family time!' he captioned the picture showing him with his mother, arm in arm with a handsome young man on her other side, trim in athletic wear with short-cropped hair and a slight smile. Article content Adam Lo is just recognizable as the same man against the fence almost five years later — much heavier, his bushy hair dishevelled, his eyes staring wide. Article content He has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder, and police have said more charges are expected. On Friday, a judge ordered a mental health assessment to see if Lo is fit to stand trial. Article content
Winnipeg Free Press
27-04-2025
- Winnipeg Free Press
Timeline of Vancouver vehicle attack that left 11 dead at Lapu Lapu Day festival
VANCOUVER – A Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver was meant to be a daylong celebration of Filipino culture. Less that 15 minutes after events were scheduled to wrap up, an SUV tore through the area behind a school filled with food trucks, killing at least 11 people. Here is a timeline of the tragedy (all times Pacific): Saturday 8 p.m. — The block party was scheduled to finished . Saturday 8:14 p.m. — Police say a man driving a black Audi SUV approached the festival area from the west via East 43rd Avenue. The vehicle entered the food truck area and drove through the crowd. Witness Nic Magtajas described an SUV roaring through at high speed. 'I saw a bunch of people go over, go high up from the impact of hitting the car,' said Magtajas, 19. He and Jihed Issa were working at a store facing the festival and said they initially had their backs to the scene when they heard a car engine revving. 'People were screaming,' said Issa, 17. 'I ran outside to the street and I was trying to figure out what happened. I made it to halfway into the street, looked around (and) there was a lot of people panicking, people on the floor — bodies.' Video circulating on social media shows a young man in a black hoodie with his back against a chain-link fence, alongside a security guard and surrounded by bystanders screaming and swearing at him. 'I'm sorry,' the man says, holding his hand to his head. The province's emergency health services say every available primary care and advanced care paramedic, along with multiple supervisors and special teams responded with more than 22 vehicles. Emergency officials later reported that 26 people were taken to nine hospitals. — Sunday midnight — Vancouver Police confirmed a mass causality event and said several people had been killed. Police said a 30-year-old Vancouver man was arrested at the scene. Interim Chief Steve Rai told reporters at the scene that the man was alone and was 'known to police in certain circumstances.' — Sunday 3:05 a.m. — Police confirm nine people died in the attack. — Sunday 9:30 a.m. — The death toll was raised to 11. Rai said the 30-year-old man arrested after the attack has a history of interactions with police as well as mental health professionals. The chief didn't release the suspect's name but said he's confident terrorism was not a motive. He said homicide investigators were presenting evidence to prosecutors who were to decide whether to lay criminal charges. During Elections Get campaign news, insight, analysis and commentary delivered to your inbox during Canada's 2025 election. —- Sunday 12:30 p.m. — Premier David Eby said it's hard 'not to feel rage' at the man reasonable for the attack, but said he wanted to turn the rage he feels into standing with the Filipino community. 'This event does not define us,' he said. —- This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 27, 2025
Toronto Star
27-04-2025
- Toronto Star
Multiple dead after SUV plows through Vancouver Filipino festival, man arrested
VANCOUVER - Police in Vancouver say nine people are dead after an SUV plowed through a Vancouver street festival being staged by the city's Filipino community Saturday night, leaving a trail of debris and victims in its wake. Witness Nic Magtajas described an SUV roaring through the Lapu Lapu Day crowd at high speed, sending pedestrians' bodies flying. I am shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific incident at today's Lapu Lapu Day event. We will work to provide more information as soon as we can, but at this time @VancouverPD have confirmed that there are a number of fatalities and multiple injuries. Our thoughts are with… — Mayor Ken Sim (@KenSimCity) April 27, 2025 Shocked & heartbroken to hear of the lives lost & those injured at the Lapu Lapu festival. Police are investigating & a suspect is in custody. We are in contact with the City of Vancouver and will provide any support needed. My thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones. — David Eby (@Dave_Eby) April 27, 2025 I am horrified to learn of an incident at Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day celebrations that injured and killed innocent people. As we wait to learn more, our thoughts are with the victims and their families – and Vancouver's Filipino community, who were coming together today to… — Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) April 27, 2025
Toronto Star
27-04-2025
- Toronto Star
Nine dead after SUV plows through Vancouver Filipino festival, man arrested
VANCOUVER - Police in Vancouver say nine people are dead after an SUV plowed through a Vancouver street festival being staged by the city's Filipino community Saturday night, leaving a trail of debris and victims in its wake. Witness Nic Magtajas described an SUV roaring through the Lapu Lapu Day crowd at high speed, sending pedestrians' bodies flying. I am shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific incident at today's Lapu Lapu Day event. We will work to provide more information as soon as we can, but at this time @VancouverPD have confirmed that there are a number of fatalities and multiple injuries. Our thoughts are with… — Mayor Ken Sim (@KenSimCity) April 27, 2025 Shocked & heartbroken to hear of the lives lost & those injured at the Lapu Lapu festival. Police are investigating & a suspect is in custody. We are in contact with the City of Vancouver and will provide any support needed. My thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones. — David Eby (@Dave_Eby) April 27, 2025 I am horrified to learn of an incident at Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day celebrations that injured and killed innocent people. As we wait to learn more, our thoughts are with the victims and their families – and Vancouver's Filipino community, who were coming together today to… — Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) April 27, 2025
Toronto Star
27-04-2025
- Toronto Star
Several dead after SUV plows through Vancouver Filipino festival, man arrested
VANCOUVER - Several people are dead after an SUV plowed through a Vancouver street festival being staged by the city's Filipino community Saturday night, leaving a trail of debris and victims in its wake. Witness Nic Magtajas described an SUV roaring through the Lapu Lapu Day crowd at high speed, sending pedestrians' bodies flying. I am shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific incident at today's Lapu Lapu Day event. We will work to provide more information as soon as we can, but at this time @VancouverPD have confirmed that there are a number of fatalities and multiple injuries. Our thoughts are with… — Mayor Ken Sim (@KenSimCity) April 27, 2025 Shocked & heartbroken to hear of the lives lost & those injured at the Lapu Lapu festival. Police are investigating & a suspect is in custody. We are in contact with the City of Vancouver and will provide any support needed. My thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones. — David Eby (@Dave_Eby) April 27, 2025 I am horrified to learn of an incident at Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day celebrations that injured and killed innocent people. As we wait to learn more, our thoughts are with the victims and their families – and Vancouver's Filipino community, who were coming together today to… — Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh) April 27, 2025
