Vancouver attack: At least nine people have been reported dead after a man ran his car through the crowd at last night’s Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver, police said in an X post on Sunday. Authorities have confirmed that a 30-year-old Vancouver resident was arrested at the site and has been taken into custody, as reported by Reuters.
The incident took place during the Lapu Lapu day Block party around 8 p.m. local time near East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street. The day is celebrated in honour of a Philippine national hero. In a late, late-night briefing, police described the event as ”mass casualty incident,” mentioning that they were already aware of the suspect but did not provide more details. Officials informed that more information would be shared after further enquiry into the incident.
I am devastated to hear about the horrific events at the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver earlier this evening.
I offer my deepest condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured, to the Filipino Canadian community, and to everyone in Vancouver. We are all mourning with…
— Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney) April 27, 2025
Canada’s PM reaction
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney expressed his grief in a post on X, writing, ”I am devastated to hear about the horrific events at the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver earlier this evening.” British Columbia Premier David Eby and Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim also extended their condolences online.
Witnesses describe the horror site
Eyewitnesses shared a devastating scene of the aftermath. Yoseb Vardeh, co-owner of the Bao Buns food truck, stated hearing an engine moving before witnessing devastation. ”I got outside my food truck, I looked down the road and there’s just bodies everywhere,” Vardeh told Postmedia. He added that the driver sped straight through the block, hitting numerous people who were attending the festival.
Another witness stated to CTV News that they noticed a black vehicle driving erratically just moments before it hit the crowd. Jagmeet Singh, leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, was present at the festival in the evening but left shortly after the incident. While speaking to CTV News, Singh stated, ”This so horrific, I don’t even know what to say. I was just there, and I just imagine the faces of the kids that I saw smiling and dancing.”
As per the Vancouver Sun, thousands had gathered for the festival. More details, including the number of deaths, along with more detailed updates, are expected to be released by the police as the investigation continues through the night.
(With inputs from Reuters)