Nine fatalities reported as a vehicle drives into a crowd at a Filipino festival

An ambulance stands at the scene of a street festival honoring Filipino heritage in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, where a vehicle drove into a crowd on Saturday night. On Saturday evening, a driver drove a car into a gathering at a festival celebrating Filipino heritage in Vancouver, resulting in at least nine fatalities and several injuries. Attendees of the festival assisted in apprehending the suspect at the scene, identified by police as a 30-year-old man.

Vancouver Police confirmed, "As of now, we can confirm that nine people have lost their lives after a man drove through a crowd at last night's Lapu Lapu Festival. Our thoughts are with all those impacted by this tragic event." The festival was designed to honor culture and diversity, celebrating Lapu Lapu Day, an annual event organized by British Columbia's Filipino community to commemorate an Indigenous leader who resisted Spanish colonization. Food trucks lined the street as performers engaged in traditional Filipino dance beneath the spring sun. However, the family-oriented celebration ended in tragedy, with one witness comparing the scene to a war zone. While no motive has been disclosed, authorities have stated they are "confident" it was not a terrorist act.
Investigators are exploring the possibility of mental health issues being a factor in this incident, according to a law enforcement source briefed on the case. According to a police statement, the incident occurred around 8:14 p.m. on April 26, when a man drove into a large crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival near East 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street. The suspect, a Vancouver resident, was apprehended at the scene.

Vancouver Police interim chief Steve Rai informed reporters that the suspect had "been known to police in certain circumstances" but did not provide additional details, including whether he had a criminal history. Rai confirmed that the suspect was believed to have acted alone, stating, "one suspect, one vehicle." The investigation, led by the Vancouver Police Department's Major Crime Section, remains ongoing, and officers have urged the public to come forward with any information related to the event. Eyewitnesses recounted harrowing scenes during the festival. Kris Pangilinan, a journalist based in Toronto, described the chaos to Canadian public broadcaster CBC. "You don't expect to see something like this in your lifetime," he remarked. "[The driver] just slammed the pedal down and rammed into hundreds of people. It resembled a bowling ball striking down pins, all the debris flying everywhere." He added, "It was like a battlefield... There were bodies scattered across the ground." Following the tragic incident, footage geolocated by CNN captured a tree-lined street lined with food stalls now covered in debris. Emergency responders were seen administering medical aid to multiple individuals on the ground. In the distance, sirens could be heard as authorities requested that bystanders keep the area clear. A black SUV with significant front-end damage was found stationary in the road, with the driver's side door ajar as a police officer inspected the vehicle. Photos taken by Reuters depicted paramedics and ambulances responding to the scene alongside visible police cordons. The organizers of the street festival, a community organization known as Filipino BC, expressed their sorrow in a statement on Instagram following the devastating event: "We are still struggling to find the words to describe the profound heartbreak caused by this senseless tragedy. We are devastated for the families and victims." The incident occurred just ahead of the federal election on Monday. Jagmeet Singh, leader of Canada's New Democratic Party, had attended the festival but left moments before the incident unfolded. "I was just there, and I can only imagine the faces of the children I saw smiling and dancing," he told CTV News.
"This is so horrific; I'm at a loss for words." Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed condolences for the dead and injured, describing the ramming as "horrific" in a statement on X. "I offer my deepest sympathies to the loved ones of those killed and injured, to the Filipino Canadian community, and to everyone in Vancouver. We are all mourning with you," he stated. This report has been updated, with contributions from CNN's Josh Campbell.