Monday, December 22, 2025
ADVT 
National

Timeline of Vancouver vehicle attack that left 11 dead at Lapu Lapu Day festival

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 28 Apr, 2025 11:21 AM
  • Timeline of Vancouver vehicle attack that left 11 dead at Lapu Lapu Day festival

A Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver was meant to be a daylong celebration of Filipino culture.

Less that 15 minutes after events were scheduled to wrap up, an SUV tore through the area behind a school filled with food trucks, killing at least 11 people. 

Here is a timeline of the tragedy (all times Pacific):

Saturday 8 p.m. — The block party was scheduled to finished .

Saturday 8:14 p.m. — Police say a man driving a black Audi SUV approached the festival area from the west via East 43rd Avenue. The vehicle entered the food truck area and drove through the crowd. 

Witness Nic Magtajas described an SUV roaring through athigh speed.

“I saw a bunch of people go over, go high up from the impact of hitting the car,” said Magtajas, 19.

He and Jihed Issa were working at a store facing the festivaland said they initially had their backs to the scene when they heard a car engine revving.

“People were screaming,” said Issa, 17.

“I ran outside to the street and I was trying to figure out what happened. I made it to halfway into the street, looked around (and) there was a lot of people panicking, people on the floor — bodies.”

Video circulating on social media shows a young man in a black hoodie with his back against a chain-link fence, alongside a security guard and surrounded by bystanders screaming and swearing at him.

"I'm sorry," the man says, holding his hand to his head.

The province's emergency health services say every available primary care and advanced care paramedic, along with multiple supervisors and special teams responded with more than 22 vehicles.

Emergency officials later reported that 26 people were taken to nine hospitals. 

---

Sunday midnightVancouver Police confirmed a mass casualty event and said several people had been killed. Police said a 30-year-old Vancouver man was arrested at the scene. 

Interim Chief Steve Rai told reporters at the scene that the man was alone and was "known to police in certain circumstances."

---

Sunday 3:05 a.m. — Police confirm nine people died in the attack.

---

Sunday 9:30 a.m. — The death toll was raised to 11. Rai said the 30-year-old man arrested after the attack has a history ofinteractions with police as well as mental health professionals. The chief didn't release the suspect's name but said he's confident terrorism was not a motive.

He said homicide investigators were presenting evidence to prosecutors who were to decide whether to lay criminal charges.

----

Sunday 12:30 p.m. — Premier David Eby said it's hard "not to feel rage" at the man reasonable for the attack, but said he wanted to turn the rage he feels into standing with the Filipino community.

"This event does not define us," he said.

----

Sunday 5 p.m. — BC Prosecution Service charged Adam Kai-Ji Lo, 30, with eight counts of second-degree murder after the attack that killed 11 people. 

Police said Lo remains in custody "and further charges are anticipated."

A statement from police said some of the victims remain unidentified. 

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rich Lam

MORE National ARTICLES

Weak loonie signals economy is 'in trouble': currency expert

Weak loonie signals economy is 'in trouble': currency expert
The Bank of Canada's end-of-day exchange rate Monday had the loonie trading at 68.48 cents US, but the Canadian dollar neared 70 cents in the minutes after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the planned tariffs would be paused for at least 30 days. The overall trend for the Canadian dollar however has been weak, which has implications for the economy. 

Weak loonie signals economy is 'in trouble': currency expert

Interprovincial trade barriers: what they are, why they exist and how to cut them

Interprovincial trade barriers: what they are, why they exist and how to cut them
The Trump administration's on-again, off-again threat to impose damaging tariffs has boosted an old idea for driving economic growth in Canada: eliminating interprovincial trade barriers. Here's a look at how interprovincial trade barriers work and why years of efforts to tear them down them have largely failed.

Interprovincial trade barriers: what they are, why they exist and how to cut them

Trudeau says U.S. tariffs on Canada will be paused for 30 days

Trudeau says U.S. tariffs on Canada will be paused for 30 days
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says "proposed tariffs" between Canada and the United States will be paused for at least 30 days while the countries work together on the border.

Trudeau says U.S. tariffs on Canada will be paused for 30 days

Canada's forestry sector faces uncertainty with 25 per cent U.S. tariffs

Canada's forestry sector faces uncertainty with 25 per cent U.S. tariffs
A wide shadow of uncertainty has been cast over Canada's forestry sector by U.S. President Donald Trump's decision to impose a 25-per-cent tariff on its lumber products. Several industry groups have released statements criticizing the tariff as unnecessary and harmful for both sides, a sentiment echoed by British Columbia Premier David Eby who vows full support for the provincial sector.

Canada's forestry sector faces uncertainty with 25 per cent U.S. tariffs

Trump mistaken, U.S. banks can and do operate in Canada says finance professor

Trump mistaken, U.S. banks can and do operate in Canada says finance professor
A finance professor at the University of Toronto says American banks do operate in Canada despite assertions by U.S. President Donald Trump that they are not allowed to do business in the country. The Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions lists Amex Bank of Canada, Citibank Canada and J.P. Morgan Bank Canada on Schedule II, all having U.S. parent companies. 

Trump mistaken, U.S. banks can and do operate in Canada says finance professor

B.C. critical minerals being diverted away from United States: David Eby

B.C. critical minerals being diverted away from United States: David Eby
Companies in British Columbia are in the process of redirecting critical minerals and energy products to markets outside the United States, Premier David Eby said, as the reality of U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs sets in. Eby noted B.C. has opened new trade offices in Taiwan, Vietnam and the Philippines over the last 18 months.

B.C. critical minerals being diverted away from United States: David Eby