Vancouver’s streets, usually alive with the hum of a city that prides itself on its diversity, fell silent Sunday as the weight of a horrific tragedy settled over the community. On April 26, a black Audi SUV tore through the Lapu Lapu Day festival, a vibrant celebration of Filipino heritage, leaving 11 dead and more than 20 injured. The suspect, identified as 30-year-old Vancouver resident Kai-Ji Adam Lo, now faces eight counts of second-degree murder, with authorities warning more charges may come.
The attack unfolded just after 8 p.m. on a warm Saturday evening, as festival-goers spilled across East 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street. The event, in its second year since British Columbia officially recognized Lapu Lapu Day in 2023, drew thousands to honor the Filipino hero who resisted Spanish colonization centuries ago. Food trucks lined the block, music pulsed, and families lingered after a headline performance by a Black Eyed Peas member. Then, chaos. Witnesses described a vehicle roaring through the crowd, bodies scattering like leaves in a storm. One man, a food truck owner, stepped outside to find customers he’d just served lying lifeless on the pavement.
Bystanders acted fast, chasing down the driver and holding him until police arrived. Lo, who authorities say acted alone, was arrested at the scene. He appeared in court Sunday via video, dressed in grey sweats, and remains in custody. No plea has been entered, and a publication ban limits further details. The case is set to return to court on May 26.
The victims, ranging from a five-year-old child to a 65-year-old adult, included men, women, and young people, though their names remain unreleased as identification efforts continue. Dozens of others were rushed to nine area hospitals, some clinging to life with critical injuries. The death toll, already at 11, could climb in the days ahead, police warned.
Investigators have ruled out terrorism, pointing instead to the suspect’s history. Lo, known to law enforcement, had repeated interactions with police and mental health professionals in the past, though no recent encounters preceded the attack. The city’s interim police chief, Steve Rai, called it “the darkest day in Vancouver’s history,” a sentiment echoed by leaders across Canada.
Prime Minister Mark Carney, in Vancouver for a vigil Sunday, knelt before a growing memorial of flowers and candles. He canceled campaign stops ahead of Monday’s federal election, joining British Columbia Premier David Eby and community leaders to mourn with the Filipino Canadian community, one of the province’s largest. At a church service, Carney lit a candle, his face heavy with grief. “Families lost a sister, a brother, a mother, a father, a son, or a daughter,” he said, his voice steady but strained. “They’re living every family’s nightmare.”
Vigils sprouted across the city, from St. Mary the Virgin South Hill Church to Kensington Park, where handwritten notes and Philippine flags adorned makeshift tributes. One note, scrawled in marker, read simply: “We are broken, but we are together.” Mayor Ken Sim, visibly shaken, announced a full review of event safety protocols, noting the festival’s risk assessment had found no specific threats. Unlike past events, no heavy vehicles blocked the street, a detail now under scrutiny.
The attack, coming just days before Canada’s federal election, cast a shadow over the nation. Political leaders, from Conservative Pierre Poilievre to NDP’s Jagmeet Singh, who had attended the festival earlier that day, paused campaigns to offer condolences. King Charles III, Canada’s head of state, expressed profound sadness, while Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. pledged his country’s support for the investigation.
As police combed through what one official called the largest crime scene in Vancouver’s history, residents grappled with the loss. A woman searched for her brother in a hospital emergency room, identifying him only by his wedding ring. Another witness, a local business owner, recalled the sound of a revving engine followed by screams. “People were crying, running, shouting for help,” he said. “There were bodies on the ground.”
Vancouver, a city that prides itself on its safety, now faces hard questions. The investigation, led by the Vancouver Police Department’s Major Crime Section, continues, with 100 officers assigned to the case. A 24-hour assistance center at Douglas Park Community Center opened to support victims’ families.
Eleven people, aged five to 65, were killed. More than 20 others were injured, some critically. Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, is charged with eight counts of second-degree murder and remains in custody. The next court date is May 26.