Most of the victims in Vancouver's Lapu-Lapu Day festival tragedy were female, police say
Police confirm suspect in alleged attack had 'interaction' with police in neighbouring jurisdiction day prior
Police in Vancouver provided a little more information Monday on the victims who died after a vehicle rammed into a Filipino community festival on Saturday night, killing 11 people and injuring dozens more.
A 30-year-old Vancouver man, Kai-Ji Adam Lo, has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder, and police have said more charges are likely as victims are identified.
Police have said the attack was not an act of terror. While they didn't provide a motive, they said the suspect had had multiple interactions with police and mental health workers.
The Ministry of Health said as of Monday afternoon, 16 people remained in the hospital, some in critical and serious condition. In total, a ministry spokesperson said 13 people had been discharged from hospitals.
On Monday, Vancouver police spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison said that most of the 11 people who died were women.
The youngest victim — a five-year-old — was female, while Addison said the oldest, a 65-year-old, was a man.
"In the coming days, as we learn more about the victims in this horrific attack, the trauma is going to increase," the VPD spokesperson said. "It's going to get harder before it gets easier."
Some victims' families have already come forward with details of the tragedy. The youngest victim of the attack was a five-year-old girl, whose father and stepmother were also killed, and another victim was a school counsellor.
Addison said that almost all the victims lived in Metro Vancouver, with one victim's place of residence not yet identified.
The spokesperson added that seven people were in hospital with critical injuries, and three people had serious injuries.
"We'd like people, if they have bystander video, to submit it to our investigators," the sergeant added.
"As we know, in similar investigations like this one that have occurred in other cities in Canada, in North America, and around the world, bystander video can form critical pieces of evidence that can help us understand all of the circumstances."
Police defend event preparation
On Sunday, VPD's interim chief Steve Rai called the day of the alleged ramming attack the "darkest day in the city's history."
Rai had defended police preparations for the event before it took place, saying that a risk assessment had determined that dedicated officers and heavy police vehicles were not necessary.
"It's not like we're not in the neighbourhood," he told reporters at a news conference with Vancouver's mayor. "We're just not marching up and down the street, and we're not putting concrete barriers up with big dump trucks."
Addison also defended the police preparations leading up to the event on Monday, saying that police were "confident that the decisions that were made leading up to this festival ... were sound."
He said that Sunday's Vancouver Marathon would be a safe event, and that Vancouver knew how to host big events safely.
"This vehicle attack is the kind of thing, as we know from other cities, it's unpredictable," he said. "It's hard to predict unpredictable behaviour."
On Monday, Addison confirmed that Lo, the suspect in the case, had an "interaction" with police in a neighbouring jurisdiction the day before the alleged ramming attack.
He said that Lo was not arrested, nor detained under the Mental Health Act, because the interaction was not criminal in nature and "didn't rise to the level where it required mental health intervention." The spokesperson provided no other details.
Officials provide resources
Those who are unable to contact a loved one who was at the event can visit a 24-hour assistance centre that has been established at the Douglas Park Community Centre or call 604-717-3321.
Addison said that the assistance centre will be wound down on Tuesday night, with a VPD mobile command centre near the scene of the attack to serve as a community information centre for an indefinite amount of time.
Filipino B.C., the group that organized the festival, has announced that victim services are available for those who witnessed the event or experienced trauma. People can call or text 1-800-563-0808 or email [email protected].
The Philippine Consulate General has shared a hotline offering assistance to nationals at 604-653-5858, as well as a migrant workers hotline at 604-767-3354.
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With files from Michelle Gomez and The Canadian Press