A driver plowed a car into a crowd at a street festival celebrating Filipino heritage in Vancouver on Saturday night, killing at least nine people and injuring others, CNN reported.
Some of those attending the festival helped arrest the suspect at the scene, who police identified as a 30-year-old man.
“As of now, we can confirm nine people have died after a man drove through a crowd at last night’s Lapu Lapu Festival. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this tragic incident,” Vancouver Police said.
The event on Saturday was intended as a celebration of culture and diversity, marking Lapu Lapu Day, an annual festival organized by British Columbia’s Filipino community and commemorating an Indigenous leader who fought against Spanish colonization.
Food trucks lined the street as performers broke out in traditional Filipino dance in the spring sunshine. Yet the family-friendly event ended in horror: one witness described it as like a war zone.
No motive has been given, although police have said they are “confident” it was not an act of terrorism. Canadian officials are investigating whether mental health issues may have factored into the incident, a law enforcement source briefed on the investigation told CNN.
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