Latest news with #carattack
CTV News
5 days ago
- CTV News
China is suppressing coverage of deadly attacks. Some people are complaining online
Volunteers relocate flowers laid outside "Zhuhai People's Fitness Plaza" to a barrier leading into the area where a man rammed his car into people exercising at the sports center, in Zhuhai in southern China's Guangdong province on Nov. 13, 2024. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, File) BEIJING — Late last month, a car struck children near an elementary school in an outlying district of Beijing, according to a Chinese news report. A four-sentence police statement said a 35-year-old male driver hit pedestrians due to 'improper operation' of the car. It didn't mention the school or that the victims included children. Photos of the aftermath, which showed a half-dozen people lying in the street, were scrubbed from China's closely controlled internet. 'We need the truth,' said one post on Weibo, a leading social media platform similar to X. The ruling Communist Party has expanded information control since leader Xi Jinping came to power in 2012, seeing it as a way to prevent unrest. More and more topics, from negative news about the economy to LGBTQ2S+ identity, have become subject to some form of censorship. In the past half year, mass attacks — in which a person kills or injures multiple people with a vehicle or knife — appear to have been added to the list. Some people in China are pushing back, complaining online in at least two cases in recent months after drivers hit pedestrians. The government may be trying to prevent copycat crimes, experts have said. Another motivation could be local authorities wanting to cover up when they fail to do so. A deadly case in November sparked a government reaction There was a spate of attacks last fall, but it's difficult to gauge whether they are increasing, given the dearth of information. The attacks weren't always a taboo topic. In the past, authorities released the basic details. Typically, the assailant was described as taking out their anger on society, often over financial losses. That appears to have changed following a particularly horrific case in November that killed 35 people in Zhuhai in southern China. Authorities said the driver was upset about a divorce settlement. Orders came from the very top — from Xi — to take steps to prevent similar attacks. Eight days later, an SUV hit students arriving at an elementary school in Hunan province. The number of injured — 30 children and adults — wasn't made public until nearly a month later when the driver was sentenced. The clampdown on information has tightened further since. In April, reports circulated online that a car had run into people outside a primary school in Jinhua city. At least three provincial state media outlets posted stories — but they were quickly taken down. To date, authorities haven't released any information. Censorship makes some people hungry for information Twelve days later, a fast-moving car veered off a street and into people at a bus stop in the city of Tengzhou in eastern China. Authorities said nothing. Videos of the May 4 crash were taken down from social media. The next day, online criticism of the silence began to appear. People said the police should release basic information such as the driver's identity and the number of casualties. A few defended the police, saying it happened on a holiday. 'If a few such precedents are set, and more local governments follow this way in the future, the rules of information disclosure may not be upheld and may be compromised,' Hu Xijin, the former editor of a state-owned newspaper, warned in a social media post. Local governments want to cover up news that reflects badly on them or their polices, said Jennifer Pan, a Stanford University professor who researches how political censorship and information manipulation work in the digital age. The central government sometimes has other priorities. 'When the issue gains attention despite local censorship efforts, the center has an incentive to preserve the legitimacy of the overall system through responsiveness and acknowledgement of the event and underlying issues,' she said in an email response. The details came out 48 hours after the crash. Six people had died, and it had not been an intentional attack: The driver was drunk, a state media report said. Police respond with quick statements that are short on details Since then, local authorities, at least in two cases in Beijing, seem to be taking a new approach: Issue a report quickly but with scant details. Eleven days after the drunk driving case, a car hit people outside an elementary school in Beijing on May 15. The Beijing Traffic Police issued a report within a few hours but left out that the location was near a school. It said only that four people had been injured when a car sideswiped pedestrians on Jian'an West Road, and that the driver had been detained. Authorities appeared to impose an information shutdown that evening. Police were stationed along the stretch of road and a person who appeared to be a neighborhood watch volunteer cautioned people in a nearby residential compound not to speak to strangers. Six weeks later, posts appeared online on June 26 saying a car had hit children in Miyun, about 60 kilometres (40 miles) northwest of central Beijing. One well-reputed media outlet, Caixin, reached area shop owners who said that children had been hit, and a hospital that confirmed it was treating some child victims. Whether it was an intentional act remains unclear. Associated Press journalist Emily Wang Fujiyama contributed to this story. Ken Moritsugu, The Associated Press
CTV News
23-07-2025
- CTV News
More murder charges in Lapu Lapu attack
Vancouver Watch A man alleged to have driven a car through a busy Filipino street festival is now facing 11 second-degree murder charges, according to police.
CBC
21-07-2025
- CBC
Driver shot, attacked by crowd in L.A. nightclub car ramming identified by police
A man suspected of driving his car into a crowd waiting to get inside a nightclub in Los Angeles, injuring 36 people, has a criminal history that includes a conviction for felony battery, officials said Sunday. The driver, identified by police as Fernando Ramirez, 29, was attacked by bystanders after the crash early Saturday in east Hollywood and paramedics later found that he had been shot. Police were still searching for the suspected shooter, described as a man with a goatee in a blue Dodgers jacket. Ramirez, of San Clemente, Calif., was recovering and was expected to face a felony charge of assault with a deadly weapon. He could not be reached for comment and it wasn't known if he had an attorney. Police Capt. Ben Fernandes told KNBC-TV on Sunday that Ramirez was sentenced in 2020 for attacking a man outside of a Whole Foods grocery store in June 2019. He was on parole at the time of Saturday's crash, but it's unclear whether it was in connection with the 2019 attack or another case. Ramirez has had at least 11 criminal cases ranging from misdemeanours to felonies, KNBC reported. In January 2022, he was charged with felony domestic battery and entered a not guilty plea. That case remains open. A line of people — mostly women — were waiting to enter the Vermont Hollywood event venue around 2 a.m. local time when they were struck by a Nissan Versa that also hit a food vending cart and valet stand, fire Capt. Adam VanGerpen said Saturday. At least 36 people were treated for injuries including fractures and lacerations, police said Sunday without providing updates on their conditions. It was not immediately clear if Ramirez was shot before or after the crash.
The Guardian
20-07-2025
- The Guardian
Vehicle driven into Los Angeles crowd injures 30 people
A man drove a car into a busy crowd of people waiting to get into a nightclub in Los Angeles early on Saturday, injuring 30 people, with at least five in critical condition. The driver, who is now in custody, has been identified as Fernando Ramirez, 29, and faces potential charges including attempted murder, police said. The incident took place outside The Vermont Hollywood on Santa Monica Boulevard, the city's fire department said. A line of people, mostly women, were waiting to get into the nightclub when the car – a Nissan Versa – struck them, also hitting a taco truck and a nearby valet stand. According to Cpt Adam VanGerpen, the public information officer for the LA fire department, people were quickly transported to local hospitals and trauma centers. Parademics also determined that one of the patients had a gunshot wound, VanGerpen said. Witnesses said Ramirez was immediately grabbed and pulled him out of the car. He was also shot during the struggle, the LA police department said. He then fled the scene on foot. Images from the scene from photographers and social media show debris, including shoes, strewn across the road, as surrounding areas were sealed off and emergency response teams arrived. 'This is under police investigation,' VanGerpen added. 'This will be a large investigation with the LAPD.' Partygoers in the club came out immediately to help the victims before the emergency crews arrived, he said. 'They were all standing in line going into a nightclub. There was a taco cart out there, so they were … getting some food, waiting to go in. And there's also a valet line there,' VanGerpen said. 'The valet podium was taken out, the taco truck was taken out, and then a large number of people were impacted by the vehicle.' The LAPD confirmed that the investigation is ongoing. Associated Press contributed to reporting
CNN
20-07-2025
- CNN
Here's what we know about the East Hollywood nightclub incident
A lively night outside a bustling East Hollywood nightclub took a devastating turn early Saturday when a car barreled through a crowded sidewalk, injuring at least 30 people, including seven critically. The crash occurred outside The Vermont Hollywood, where 29-year-old Fernando Ramirez had been kicked out for being disruptive before police say he drove his car into the crowd. The suspect was beaten and shot by bystanders after the crash and is now in custody, facing potential charges including attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon, police said. Video footage after the crash showed blood on the street and injured patrons sprawled on the pavement as first responders provided aid, with some victims carried away on stretchers. Police cordoned off the area as investigators worked to piece together the sequence of events. The crowd had gathered outside for valet services, food stands and entry to the nightclub. A taco stand and valet podium were among the structures hit, but the venue itself sustained no structural damage, officials said. Ramirez, who remains hospitalized, was arrested on suspicion of assault with a deadly weapon, but a motive has not yet been identified, a Los Angeles Police Department spokesperson told CNN. Here's what we know so far, as investigators piece together what happened that night: The crash occurred around 2 a.m. local time, as patrons were leaving The Vermont Hollywood, located just west of the famed Sunset Junction in the Silver Lake district. 'A driver veered onto the sidewalk and struck multiple individuals,' the venue said in a statement. The club was hosting a reggae-hip hop event from 10 p.m. to 2 a.m., according to its online calendar. A fight broke out outside the club before the crash, Maria Medrano told the Associated Press. The car hit a hot dog stand operated by Medrano and her husband, who narrowly escaped injury. 'The car stopped once it hit the hot dog stand; it got stuck there,' Medrano told the AP from the hospital. 'If not, I wouldn't be here to tell' the story. Police initially responded to reports of an assault with a deadly weapon but arrived to find the car had plowed into the crowd 'for reasons unknown,' with bystanders assaulting the driver, authorities said. The suspect was 'immediately taken into custody by the LAPD, and an investigation is currently underway,' the venue said. The driver had been kicked out of The Vermont Hollywood for being disruptive prior to the incident, Los Angeles Police Department Captain Ben Fernandes told the Los Angeles Times. 'From review of the video, he went up to the sidewalk further down and when he hit bystanders, it was an intentional act,' Fernandes told the LA Times. After the crash, bystanders pulled the driver from the vehicle and began assaulting him, according to Jeff Lee, a public information officer with the LAPD. During the altercation, one of the bystanders shot the driver, Lee said. First responders discovered the gunshot wound during a secondary assessment, said Capt. Adam VanGerpen, public information officer for the Los Angeles Fire Department. The suspect, who police believe was intoxicated, was taken to the hospital for surgery, a law enforcement official briefed on the situation previously told CNN. Authorities have found no evidence to suggest the incident was connected to terrorism or motivated by criminal intentions beyond the driver's impaired state, a law enforcement official said. The man who police believe shot Ramirez reportedly fled the scene wearing a blue jersey, officers said. Police believe he used a silver revolver in the shooting. A massive emergency response team of 124 firefighters responded to the crowded scene, treating and transporting victims to trauma centers and nearby hospitals, the LAFD said. 'Many people were lined up at the valet podium, coming out of the nightclub, and gathered around the food stands,' said LAFP public information officer Erik Scott. Seven victims were hospitalized in critical condition, six in serious condition, and 10 in fair condition. An additional seven people declined transport after being evaluated at the scene. The victims, ranging in age from their mid-20s to early 30s, included 18 women and 12 men, according to the LAPD. Most injuries were from broken bones and soft tissue trauma, but one victim also suffered a gunshot wound. 'We're very fortunate there were no deaths … When you have 30 individuals injured and seven critical. We're very appreciative of the coordinated effort of our public safety partners and we remain committed to supporting the victims in the community,' Scott said. Scott commended the efforts of bystanders, many of whom stepped in to help injured strangers. 'People were helping each other out,' VanGerpen said. 'People were waiting to go inside there (the nightclub), they're ordering tacos, so they're seeing people that they don't even know are injured. They're stepping in to help them out.' Videos taken after the crash show bystanders helping victims, some of whom were still bleeding on the pavement as they waited for aid. Mayor Karen Bass called the incident a 'heartbreaking tragedy' and praised the swift response of more than 100 police and fire personnel. 'The hearts of Angelenos are with all of the victims impacted this morning — a full investigation into what happened is underway.' CNN's Julia Vargas Jones, Emma Tucker, Josh Campbell, David Williams and Lauren Mascarenhas contributed to this report.
