Summary
- The number of people dead after a man drove a car into a crowd at a Filipino festival in Vancouver has risen to 11, police say
- Those killed include men, women and young people, acting police chief Steve Rai says, as he warns the number of fatalities could rise
- Rai says he does not believe it was an “act of terrorism” and the suspect – who is in custody – has a history of interactions with police and healthcare professionals “in relation to mental health”
- It is the “darkest day in the city’s history”, he adds
- Earlier, Canadian PM Mark Carney said he is “devastated and heartbroken” after what the police are calling a “car-ramming attack”
- Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre says he is shocked and saddened by this “senseless act of violence”
A ‘watershed moment’ for Vancouver Policepublished at 18:3918:39
Rai says this incident will change the landscape for Vancouver Police going forward.
He adds this will be a “watershed moment” for operational changes.
With that, he ends the news conference.
His spokesperson announced there will be more updates today, but does not specify when this will be.
No indications that festival would require extra policing
Acting police chief Steve Rai is now taking questions from the media.
He says last year’s festival did not have any indicators that police would need to do “anything that we wouldn’t have done for any other community festival”.
Last year there were “zero issues with police” and for this year “none of the indicators were there to do anything to a higher threat level”.
Men, women and young among victims
Steve Rai is now giving further details of the victims.
He says there are both male and female victims, and young people.
He adds that he can’t give further details on ages but calls it a “tragedy all around for many families”.
Police chief says criminal investigation is ongoing
Rai ends by saying this is an ongoing criminal investigation.
He thanks emergency services and healthcare professionals, as well as offering his condolences: “We are grieving with you.”
Rai is now taking questions from the press, we’ll bring you key new lines if they arise.
No known threats to Filipino community, says police chief
Rai continues to say there were no known threats either against the event or the Filipino community.
He adds that after consultation with the City of Vancouver and event organisers it was decided that dedicated police officers and heavy vehicle barricades would not be deployed.
He says he is confident the risk assessment was “sound” but that circumstances surrounded planning of the event will be reviewed.
More than 100 police officers on case
Rai says more than 100 police officers are working on the case.
“They have been providing comfort to the injured, interviewing eyewitnesses and collecting key pieces of evidence from throughout the crime scene,” Rai says.
Rai says a risk assessment was done before the event in which officials determined no heavy vehicle barricades were deemed necessary.
“While I’m confident the joint risk assessment and public safety plan was sound, we will be working with our partners at the City of Vancouver to review all of the circumstances surrounding the planning of this event,” he says.
Police do not believe incident was act of terrorism
Car was driven into ‘crowd of hundreds’
Acting police chief Steve Rai is continuing the press conference by updating the known details.The suspect drove a black Audi SUV into an enclosed area, he says.He hit a crowd of “hundreds” that remained after the Lapu Lapu festival, a celebration of Filipino culture, had ended.
Rai says he is not prepared to speak about the potential motive, but says he can now say with confidence that the evidence does not lead police to believe it was act of terrorism.The person in custody has a significant history of interactions with police and healthcare professionals “related to mental health”, he says.
Police chief says act of single person ‘shattered our sense of safety
Acting police chief Steve Rai says the actions of a single person “shattered our collective sense of safety”.It is impossible to overstate how many lives have been impacted forever “by this lone individual”, he says, adding there are many unanswered questions about why this “horrific crime happened”, the motive, and if anything could have been done to prevent it.