The latest:
Filipino community festival was wrapping up when SUV plowed into crowd.
Suspect held by festival-goers until police arrived: chief.
Eyewitness says driver “just slammed the pedal down and rammed into hundreds of people.”
Support line set up for victims.
Nine people have been killed and multiple others injured after the driver of a black SUV slammed into a crowd Saturday evening at a street festival celebrating the contributions of the Filipino-Canadian community, say Vancouver police.
It happened shortly after 8 p.m. near East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street, where the Lapu Lapu Day Block Party was winding down, after drawing up to 100,000 people through the day.
Police say a man in his 30s is now in custody.
Vancouver Coastal Health told The Canadian Press it had confirmed a “code orange,” indicating a mass casualty event. The health authority was not able to confirm the number of injured or dead as of late Saturday night, but shortly after 3 a.m. local time Sunday, Vancouver police said on social media that there were nine fatalities.
Earlier, videos posted on social media showed emergency crews at the scene, with several people lying on the ground — some appearing injured.
Police say a number of people have been killed and multiple others injured after a black SUV slammed into a crowd at the Filipino Lapu Lapu Day Block Party street festival near East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street.
Interim police Chief Steve Rai, in a midnight news briefing, said bystanders held the suspect until police could arrive. He said the man was known to police “in certain circumstances.”
Rai said the event had been assessed and monitored for security with stakeholders — including those in charge of garbage trucks used in the past to block streets from traffic.
The investigation is ongoing and is being led by the Vancouver police major crime section.
“We are confident that this incident was not an act of terrorism,” Vancouver police said on X.
Police had limited details in a midnight press conference, but say they plan to release more details in the morning. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Lapu Lapu Day is named after an Indigenous resistance fighter in the Philippines who fought against Spanish colonization in the 16th Century.
Saturday’s event was the second annual street celebration of the day in Vancouver, and organizers had said it was an opportunity to mark “the enduring impact on Filipino values, notably the spirit of bayanihan — the collective community effort.”
After South Asians and Chinese, the Filipino community is the third-largest cultural group in B.C. Statistics Canada says more than 174,000 people in the community represent 3.5 per cent of the province’s total population.
‘It was like a war zone’
Kris Pangilinan, a Toronto-based journalist, flew to Vancouver to attend the Lapu Lapu Day celebrations. He described the event as a beautiful day filled with wonderful performances — but said the aftermath has left him shaken.
“It’s something you don’t expect to see in your lifetime,” he told CBC’s Stephen Quinn.
Pangilinan said the show was wrapping up, and the festival’s main act — Filipino-American rapper Apl.de.ap of the Black Eyed Peas — had already finished his set. Crews were in the process of tearing down the stage, tents and vendor stalls when the incident happened.
He said crews lifted a barricade that had been blocking traffic to allow a vehicle to enter. While some cars were being guided carefully through the crowds, Pangilinan said one car suddenly sped up and struck a person.
Police and first responders are pictured at the intersection of Fraser Street and 43rd Avenue after a vehicle drove into a crowd at a street festival on Saturday. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
“Then we realized what was happening and everybody started yelling,” he said. “[The driver] just slammed the pedal down and rammed into hundreds of people. It was like seeing a bowling ball hit — all the bowling pins and all the pins flying up in the air.”
Pangilinan, who has previously worked in news, said witnessing the attack in person was overwhelming.
“As someone who worked in news, you get numb to seeing these things — but seeing it in real life is just shocking,” he said.
“It was like a war zone … There were bodies all over the ground,” he said, adding he saw “countless” people injured.
Kris Pangilinam described what he saw when a black SUV hit a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day Block Party, a Filipino street festival, on Saturday evening in Vancouver. Local police say several people have been killed and multiple others injured.
Another eyewitness, Joshua Polintan, expressed his anger over what happened.
“I am mad at whoever did that because why would you do that?” he said. “I don’t know if it was a hate crime … but it was just wrong.”
Organizer says support available
In a statement posted on Instagram, Filipino BC said it was devastated by the tragedy and urged those affected to seek help.
“We are still finding the words to express the deep heartbreak brought on by this senseless tragedy. We are devastated for the families and victims,” the post read.
Crowds are pictured at the Lapu Lapu Block party earlier on Saturday. The event was the second time the celebration was held in Vancouver. (Shawn Foss/CBC)
The organization encouraged community members to check in with one another and access available mental health resources.
“Victim services are available 24/7 for those who witnessed or experienced trauma by calling or texting 1-800-563-0808 or emailing 211-victimlinkbc@uwbc.ca.”
Mayor, politicians react
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh made a campaign stop at the festival and left minutes before the incident happened.
Singh said his thoughts are with the victims, their families and Vancouver’s Filipino community, “who were coming together today to celebrate resilience.”
“This is a festival with kids there. There are families there,” he said. “I don’t have the words to describe the pain that I’m feeling right now thinking about the lives that were lost.”
Liberal Leader Mark Carney posted on X that he is “devastated” and offered his condolences to the “loved ones of those killed and injured.”
Carney had been scheduled to spend part of Sunday in British Columbia, but his campaign issued a statement early Sunday saying that his plans have been delayed.
Emergency crews respond to the scene. Vancouver police say the driver is in custody. (Ben Nelms/CBC)
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre said on X, “My thoughts are with the Filipino community and all the victims targeted by this senseless attack.”
They both thanked first responders.
B.C. Premier David Eby said in a post to X that he’s “heartbroken” to hear about the lives lost and those injured at the festival.
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said he was “shocked and deeply saddened” by the “horrific incident.”
Vancouver Sun Run to go as planned
The Vancouver Sun Run, one of the biggest 10-kilometre runs in North America, is scheduled for Sunday. The event is expected to see tens of thousands of participants.
Interim police Chief Rai said the event will take place as planned.
“There’s no change …. We will have a full robust deployment and it will occur as planned with security,” he said.
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