This blog is closed. You can find our full report on the attack here:
Closing summary
We will shortly be closing this blog on the aftermath of the Vancouver car attack that has left 11 people dead. You can read our full story on the attack here.
Here is a summary of the main developments today:
The suspect in a car-ramming attack that killed 11 people and injured dozens at a Filipino heritage festival in the Canadian city of Vancouver has been charged with eight counts of second degree murder, prosecutors have said.
More charges were possible against Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, the British Columbia prosecution service said. Investigators ruled out terrorism and said Lo had a history of mental health issues. Lo, a Vancouver resident, appeared in court and remains in custody, prosecutors said.
On Sunday night prime minister Mark Carney attended a vigil near the scene of the attack. He also mourned with members of the Filipino community at St. Mary the Virgin South Hill Church.
Vancouver’s interim police chief, Steve Rai, confirmed that the 11 victims who were killed in the car-ramming attacked ranged from five to 65 years old. He went on to say that dozens more are injured, “some critically and some have not yet been identified”.
The Vancouver school board has announced that all of its flags in its schools and offices will be flown at half-mast as a result of the attack. In a statement posted on Sunday, the school board said: “We are committed to ensuring students, their families and staff have the care and assistance needed. Also, as a mark of respect, all flags at our schools and offices will be flown at half-mast.”
Lapu Lapu Day’s festival organizer, RJ Aquino, has released a statement following the car-ramming attack, saying: “We’ve been making sure our family, friends, volunteers, and community partners who helped make the event a success are accounted for and are OK … It’s a great concern that things are circulating that haven’t been vetted and it’s not clear who’s attempting to collect people’s information as in who is the individual that created these Google Docs … we want to ensure that we lead with transparency and accountability.”
Carney said that along with the rest of the country he was “shocked, devastated and heartbroken” to hear of the news of the deadly incident. “Those families are living every family’s nightmare. And to them and to the many others who were injured, to the Filipino Canadian community and to everyone in the broader lower mainland – Vancouver – I would like to offer my deepest condolences and my wishes for strength and compassion in this tragic time,” he added.
Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr said he was “completely shattered” to hear about the incident. “On behalf of the Philippine government and the Filipino people, Liza and I would like to express our deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and to the strong and thriving Filipino community in Canada,” he said, referring to his wife, the first lady Liza Araneta-Marcos.
