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The individual implicated in a tragic event during Vancouver’s Lapu Lapu Day festival has been formally charged.
Kai-Ji Adam Lo, aged 30, faces eight charges of second-degree murder as of the latest updates.
Lo is currently in custody, awaiting his upcoming court appearance. He was arrested shortly after the incident on Saturday evening.
On Sunday morning, Vancouver police confirmed that the horrific event resulted in the deaths of 11 individuals, with many others sustaining injuries when an SUV drove into a crowd at the festival, held on school grounds at East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street.
Additional charges against Lo may be forthcoming in the days ahead.
Authorities revealed that Lo had a history of significant interactions with police related to mental health concerns.
Notably, there was a police encounter with him on April 25, just one day before the incident; however, details of that encounter remain undisclosed, with officials stating it did not necessitate a hospital visit.
A witness, who chose to remain anonymous due to safety concerns, recounted to 730 CKNW that he observed the SUV behaving “recklessly” prior to the tragic event.
“He was going through our neighborhood and he was driving too fast,” the witness mentioned.
“That was my impression. He was speeding down our side street before turning onto 43rd Avenue. Initially, I thought he was just an unsafe driver.”
According to the witness, the SUV made a U-turn and seemed to be parking, prompting him to walk by the vehicle shortly before chaos erupted.
“Moments later, everyone was screaming,” he recalled.
The victims, whose identities have yet to be revealed, are reported to range in age from five to 65 years.
Source
globalnews.ca