At least nine killed after car driven through Vancouver street festival
Vancouver Festival Tragedy: Car Rams into Crowd, Killing Nine
At least nine people have been killed after a car was driven into a crowd at a street festival in Vancouver, police have confirmed.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney stated that more than 20 people were injured in the incident, which occurred at approximately 8:14 PM local time on Saturday (03:14 GMT on Sunday).
A 30-year-old male suspect is in custody. The Vancouver Police Department said it is “confident that this incident was not an act of terrorism,” and an investigation is ongoing.
Police reported that the suspect drove into pedestrians attending the annual Lapu Lapu Festival, which celebrates Filipino culture, at East 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street in the southern part of the city.
Steve Rai, Vancouver Police’s interim chief, confirmed during a news conference that there was one vehicle and one suspect involved. Prime Minister Carney referred to the incident as a “car-ramming attack.”
Following the tragedy, Carney altered his campaign events on Sunday—just one day before Canada’s national election—to offer condolences.
“Last night, families lost a sister, a brother, a mother, a father, a son, or a daughter. Those families are living every family’s nightmare,” Carney said.
“I know that I join all Canadians in mourning with you.”
Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim expressed his grief, stating he was “shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific incident,” and shared that his “thoughts are with all those affected and with Vancouver’s Filipino community during this incredibly difficult time.”
City Councillor Peter Fry said local residents were struggling to process what had happened.
“This celebration was a huge, fun, vibrant, family-oriented street party, and it was a fantastic event. To see it turn so horrible so quickly and unexpectedly has left our entire city in shock,” he said.
Harjit Sajjan, who previously represented Vancouver South as a Liberal MP, called the event “absolutely tragic” and pledged to support the community as best as possible.
Lapu Lapu Day is celebrated each year on April 27th in the Philippines to honor Lapu-Lapu, a national hero known for resisting Spanish colonization. The Vancouver festival was officially established in 2023 and, according to organizers, “symbolizes the cultural harmony and mutual respect that thrive in British Columbia,” where over 141,000 Canadians of Filipino descent reside.
Philippines President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr said he was “shattered to hear about the terrible incident,” and confirmed that the Philippine Consulate General would work closely with Canadian authorities to ensure a thorough investigation.
King Charles III, Canada’s head of state, expressed his sorrow in a statement:
“Our hearts and prayers go out to all those whose lives have been shattered by such a desperate tragedy, and we send our deepest possible sympathy at this most agonizing time for so many in Canada.”
Canadian political leaders from across the spectrum have also shared messages of condolence.
Pierre Poilievre, leader of the Conservative Party, called the incident a “senseless attack,” while British Columbia New Democratic Party leader David Eby said he was “shocked and heartbroken.”
New Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh, who had attended the festival earlier in the day but was not present during the attack, shared his horror over the incident.
“I was horrified to learn that innocent people were killed and injured,” Singh said.
“Our thoughts are with the victims and their families—and Vancouver’s Filipino community, who had come together to celebrate resilience.”
Singh, Poilievre, and Carney are all candidates in Canada’s federal election on Monday. Singh’s constituency of Burnaby Central lies just east of where the incident occurred.
Meanwhile, Yoseb Vardeh, the owner of a food truck selling bao buns at the festival, described the devastating scene that unfolded right in front of his vehicle.
“This guy, he killed some of my customers,” Vardeh said. “There were people waiting for their buns that got hit.”
He continued: “I stepped outside of my food truck and I just saw bodies underneath people’s food trucks, husbands crying out for their wives or their kids… it was just horrible.”
Footage posted on social media showed multiple police cars, ambulances, and fire engines responding at the scene, with injured individuals receiving medical attention on the ground.