At the site of a collision that occurred on Saturday, April 26, “multiple others injured” and resulted in the deaths of nine individuals, the Vancouver Police Department has taken a guy who is thirty years old into custody.
On Sunday, April 27, the Vancouver Police Department issued a statement that said, “As of now, we can confirm nine people have died after a man drove through a crowd at last night’s Lapu Lapu Festival.” The statement was put on X. Any and all individuals who have been impacted by this awful event are in our thoughts.
This comes after authorities earlier stated on X that they were “investigating a mass casualty incident at a neighborhood block party” in South Vancouver. The incident occurred when “a man drove into a large crowd of people attending the Lapu Lapu Day Festival” at approximately 8:14 p.m., close to the intersection of East 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street. All of the individuals who were attending the festival were injured.
The police statement went on to say that a suspect who was thirty years old and a male from Vancouver was taken into custody at the site.
According to the announcement, the investigation is still underway and is being directed by the Major Crime Section of the Vancouver Police Department.
In a message that was uploaded on X, the Mayor of Vancouver, Ken Sim, expressed his shock and profound sadness over the horrible occurrence that occurred during the Lapu Lapu Day event that took place today.
“Our thoughts are with all those affected and with Vancouver’s Filipino community during this incredibly difficult time,” said Sim in an interview.
Yoseb Vardeh, who was manning a Bao Buns food truck at the festival, said to the BBC that the event took place just after the last performance of the day and that the car went “completely straight, right through the crowd” at a speed of about sixty miles per hour.
In addition, he said to the source that the driver was forcefully detained by members of the public when he came to a stop and tried to flee the scene.
In an interview with the BBC, Vardeh said, “I believe he was going for maximum damage.”
“I just saw bodies underneath people’s food trucks, and husbands crying out for their wife, or their kids, it was just horrible,” Vardeh continued of the casualties, who apparently included some of his customers. “It was just horrible,” he said.
Artist Kaya Ko, who is based in Vancouver, made an appearance at the event on Saturday about one o’clock. In a post that she made on Instagram, she referred to the event as a “massacre.”
“I am extending all of my thoughts and prayers to the families who have been impacted by this tragedy. I am utterly heartbroken,” she commented on the narrative she shared on Instagram. After this, what are some ways that we might join together as a community? There is a lot to take in. I ask that you pray for me.
“This was not a casual occurrence. She reinforced her statement in a second tweet, saying, “This was a massacre.” There are no words that come to mind. Our prayers are with those who have lost their lives, the families of those who have been impacted by this horrific crime, and for the souls of those who have been stolen from us.
She added in a third message, “Spirit, guide these souls home and guide our people back to our hearts,” and she prayed for divine assistance. “May the people of our community unite into love and prayer for one another. in memory of those who have passed away. May we all be able to keep going through this. Take care of each other and make sure to have a tight relationship with each other.
