Vancouver police investigate a crime scene after a man drove into pedestrians at the annual Lapu Lapu festival celebrating Filipino culture, in Vancouver.
Image: Don MacKinnon, AFP
Harshita Meenaktshi and Chris Helgren, in VANCOUVER – At least nine people were killed when a man drove through a crowd at a Filipino community festival in the western Canadian city of Vancouver on Saturday evening, police said in an X post.
Police said they had arrested a 30-year-old Vancouver man, who was "known" to them, at the scene. The suspect was initially chased down and held by festival-goers until police arrived, witnesses said. A number of people were also injured.
One witness told CTV News he saw a black vehicle driving erratically in the area of the festival just before the crowd was struck.
"At this time, we are confident that this incident was not an act of terrorism," Vancouver police said in an X post.
The incident happened shortly after 8pm (0300 GMT) near East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street, where the Lapu-Lapu Day Block Party, celebrating a Philippine national hero, was taking place.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said on X: "I am devastated to hear about the horrific events at the Lapu-Lapu festival in Vancouver earlier this evening."
Canada's federal election takes place on Monday. Officials from Carney's Liberal Party said the prime minister's campaign movements would be delayed on Sunday morning and that Carney would make a statement.
Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr said he was "shattered to hear about the terrible incident" and extended his "deepest sympathies to the families of the victims and to the strong and thriving Filipino community in Canada."
Jagmeet Singh, leader of Canada's New Democratic Party, was among the attendees at the event, but left minutes before the vehicle arrived, he told reporters.
"We don't know the motives, we don't know any of the details, but ultimately this is something that targeted the Filipino community," he said.
"I was there, and I just imagined the faces of the kids I saw smiling and dancing. It's horrific," he said.
Another witness, who did not wish to be identified, said he had seen about 15 people lying on the ground after the dark SUV plunged into the crowd. The witness said the driver had tried to run but was chased down and held against a fence for about 10 minutes until police arrived.
The festival, celebrated especially in the central Philippines, honors Datu Lapu-Lapu, a Filipino chieftain who defeated Spanish forces led by Ferdinand Magellan in the Battle of Mactan in 1521.
The government of British Columbia officially recognised April 27 as Lapu-Lapu Day in 2023, acknowledging the cultural contributions of the Filipino-Canadian community, one of the largest immigrant groups in the province.
King Charles, Canada's head of state, said in a statement: "Both my wife and I were profoundly saddened to learn of the dreadful attack and utterly tragic loss of life in Vancouver, which took place as the Filipino community came together to mark the celebration of one of their most special festivals."
The centerpiece of the festival in Vancouver is a multi-block street party in the Sunset neighborhood featuring Filipino food and traditions, live performances and cultural displays.
"I didn't get to see the driver, all I heard was an engine rev," Yoseb Vardeh, co-owner of food truck Bao Buns, said in an interview with Postmedia.
"I got outside my food truck, I looked down the road and there's just bodies everywhere," said Vardeh, his voice breaking with emotion. "He went through the whole block, he went straight down the middle."
Vancouver city councillor Peter Fry told CTV News he had also been at the event earlier in the day.
"This was a great day. A wonderful event. Huge community event. And to have it end in tragedy like this, it won't break us or the community but it's horrible," he said.