Authorities have confirmed that the man behind the car-ramming attack that left 11 people dead during a Filipino cultural festival in Vancouver acted deliberately and had a long history of mental health struggles.
Police Chief Steve Rai said the 30-year-old suspect, who drove a black Audi SUV into festival-goers on Saturday evening, had prior interactions with police and mental health professionals. While the investigation continues, terrorism has been ruled out, and police warned that the death toll could still rise.
The attack occurred at the Lapu Lapu Festival in the Sunset on Fraser neighborhood, where hundreds had gathered to celebrate a 16th-century Filipino hero. What began as a day of parades, dance performances, and concerts — featuring appearances by members of the Black Eyed Peas — quickly turned into a scene of devastation.
“This is the darkest day in our city’s history,” Vancouver police said in a statement.
Footage from the scene showed the damaged SUV stopped amid debris, as emergency responders tended to the wounded. Eyewitness Dale Selipe recalled seeing injured children and a woman whose leg appeared broken, while festival security guard Jen Idaba-Castaneto described the desperate confusion: “You don’t know who to help, here or there.”
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney teared up as he addressed the nation, saying, “Last night families lost a sister, a brother, a mother, a father, a son, or a daughter. Those families are living every family’s nightmare.”
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also expressed his heartbreak, saying he was “completely shattered” to hear of the tragedy.
The attack stirred painful memories for Canadians, bringing comparisons to the 2018 van attack in Toronto that also claimed 11 lives. Julie Dunbar, a runner in Ottawa, said, “I fear for the society that we live in, that these things can happen.”
Britain’s King Charles III, Canada’s head of state, released a statement saying he was “profoundly saddened” by the deaths.
The tragedy struck just a day before Canadians were set to vote in a national election, an already tense campaign focused on rising living costs and strained relations with the United States under President Donald Trump. Prime Minister Carney, leading in the polls, has pledged to defend Canada’s interests amid new economic threats.
