The driver accused of crashing his SUV into a Filipino festival in Vancouver on Saturday, killing at least 11 people, was restrained by bystanders before police arrived — and was "known" to law enforcement, officials said. The 30-year-old man, who has not yet been identified, apologized to festival attendees as the crowd held him until authorities took him into custody.
Chaos broke out at the Lapu Lapu Day festival when a vehicle plowed into the crowd shortly after 8 p.m. on Saturday night. Lifeless bodies and injured festivalgoers were seen along a narrow street in South Vancouver lined with food trucks, while the front end of the driver's SUV was damaged.
Mayhem at Vancouver
"The suspect was known to police in certain circumstances," Vancouver Acting Police Chief Steve Rai told reporters on Saturday night without giving further details. Police said that the driver was also "well known to health-care professionals related to mental health."
"The number of dead could rise in the coming days or weeks," Rai said. "This is the darkest day in our city's history," he added, according to CBC.
A video shared on social media showed a young man wearing a black hoodie pressed against a chain-link fence, standing next to a security guard while bystanders were screaming at him, according to the Associated Press.
"I´m sorry," the man said holding his hand to his head after he crashed his SUV, according to AP.
Interim Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai chose not to comment on the video but confirmed that the man in custody was a "lone male" who was "known to police in specific situations."
Authorities have ruled out terrorism as a motive. It is believed that the man accessed the crowded street after a few volunteers removed a barrier while cleaning up after the festival.
"We are still working on how this was cordoned off and how this occurred with the vehicle," Rai said.
Motive Still Unclear
The festival had drawn families, children, and neighbors from across Vancouver, many looking forward to a pleasant spring evening, unaware of the ensuing tragedy. Instead, the street quickly turned into an emergency triage zone, with bystanders rushing to give first aid before paramedics arrived.
Passerby Carayn Nulada said she grabbed her granddaughter and grandson off the road and used her body to shield them from the oncoming SUV, adding that her daughter narrowly avoided injury.
Festival attendee Kris Pangilinan shared that he saw two volunteers move a street barrier to allow vehicles through as crews were packing up food trucks, vendor stalls, and the stage.
While several cars were carefully directed through the narrow road, the black SUV reportedly sped up and crashed into the crowd.
"We realized what was happening and everybody started yelling," Pangilinan told the CBC. "[He] just slammed the pedal down and rammed into hundreds of people. It was like seeing a bowling ball hit — all the bowling pins and all the pins flying up in the air."
Police have ruled out terrorism as a factor but have not yet revealed any possible motive.
