EXPLAINER
As part of a major Filipino festival celebration, at least nine people died and several were hurt on Saturday night.
A 30-year-old suspect is being detained, and investigations are still ongoing.
What is known about the incident and the most recent developments:
What transpired in Vancouver?
According to the Vancouver Police Department, a man drove into a crowd for Lapu-Lapu Day at 8:14pm on Saturday (3:14 GMT on Sunday).
Crews were removing the stage, tents, and vendor stalls as the festival’s main act approached. According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corp (CBC), they also lifted a barricade that had been preventing traffic so a car could pass when it suddenly struck the area.
Witnesses described the vehicle as a black SUV and claimed they first heard the vehicle rev its engine before entering the area. Images of the alleged wreckage were published online with a front damaged.
The driver attempted to run, but was chased down by festivalgoers and held against a fence for about 10 minutes until police arrived and made his arrest, a witness who declined to be identified.
When bodies were discovered lying on the ground, advanced life support ambulances were called to the scene.
As police continued to look into the incident around 1 a.m. (08:00 GMT), they ruled out “an act of terrorism” as a possible cause of the collision.
We are certain that this incident wasn’t a terrorist act at this time.
In Vancouver, where did the car collide?
East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street are at the intersection of the two intersections.
Vancouver, located in British Columbia, is a coastal city in western Canada. It is renowned for its mountains, forests, and Pacific Ocean, which are all renowned for their natural beauty.
It is regarded as one of Canada’s most diverse cities because of its 662, 248 population. At least 244 different cultural origins were identified by its residents, compared to the 2021 census, which revealed that about half of the city’s population had identified with one or more racial minority groups.
After Toronto, Vancouver also has the second-largest Filipino population in Canada.
What does Vancouver’s Lapu Lapu festival entail?
The Philippines hold a yearly ceremony in honor of their indigenous leader, Datu Lapu-Lapu, who fought against Spanish colonization. In the Battle of Mactan, he led his men to defeat Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan on April 27, 1521.
In 2023, British Columbia declared this day Lapu-Lapu Day.
The Vancouver community groups’ second annual block party on Saturday marked the occasion’s second year. The event featured a parade, a screening of a movie, dancing, and a concert with two Black Eyed Peas members on the lineup that the organizers had announced.
What are the victims’ details known to us?
Nine people have been killed, according to police, who confirmed the news early on Sunday, but it is still unclear how many others have been hurt.
At a press conference, Vancouver’s interim chief constable Steve Rai claimed that the victims had been taken to various regional hospitals.
The suspect is who?
The 30-year-old “lone male” suspect was taken into custody at the scene by Vancouver Police Department officers.
Although Rai claimed he was “known to police in some circumstances,” no further details about the man have been made public.
A video of a young man in a black hoodie apologizing to yell-a-out-of-brown while surrounded by screaming bystanders has also been removed from Rai’s comments.
What has recently happened on the ground?
As of early Sunday, there is still a significant police presence in the area. The Douglas Park Community Centre has a 24-hour crisis room for those who are impacted.
Additionally, victims’ services organizations and police have been called to help those who have not heard from friends or family members who attended the festival.
What are people saying in response to the ramming in Vancouver?
Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his shock at learning about the horrifying incident.
In a post on X, he wrote, “I extend my heartfelt condolences to the loved ones of those who have been killed and injured, to the Filipino Canadian community, and to everyone in Vancouver.”
Conservative candidate Pierre Poilievre, who will face off against Carney in the election on Monday, wrote in a social media post that he was “shocked by the horrific news.”
Source: Aljazeera
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