Last Sunday (4/27), AlertsUSA subscribers were notified of a vehicle ramming incident that has just taken place at the annual Lapu-Lapu Day street festival in Vancouver, British Columbia. The multi-block party celebrates the Philippine hero Lapu-Lapu, who defeated Spanish forces led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in the year 1521.
In this incident, 30-year-old Kai-Ji Adam Lo, a resident of Vancouver, drove a black Audi Q7 SUV at high speed down a section of East 43rd Avenue, which had been converted into a food truck zone for the street party. Witnesses described bodies sent flying after being struck by the SUV, and aftermath videos and images show wreckage and victims scattered across a long stretch of the road.
Eleven people, ranging in age from 5 to 65, were killed, and at least 24 others were injured, some critically.
Bystanders apprehended Lo after he crashed the SUV and attempted to flee. He is believed to have acted alone and was the only occupant of the vehicle. Vancouver Police have confirmed that the suspect had a history of interactions with police, but he had no prior criminal record. It is also reported that one day prior to the attack, Lo complained to police that people were throwing things into the back of his SUV.
As is the usual case, police were quick to point out that the suspect had mental health issues, and while the motive for the attack remains unknown, terrorism has been ruled out. How they arrived at that conclusion so quickly is anyone's guess.
A fierce argument broke out in the B.C. legislature on Thursday over the case, with Premier Robert Eby stating the following:
“This man did a despicable thing, did the most hateful thing, that he ruined the work of thousands of people and traumatized thousands more; that he stole children from parents, parents from children; and he should spend the rest of his life in jail. If that is a point of controversy in this house between our side and their side, then so be it. That man should spend the rest of his [expletive] life in jail.”
Encouraged By the Islamic State
Readers are reminded that the Islamic State has long encouraged the use of vehicle-ramming as a means of attack, even going as far as producing a written guide on vehicle selection and strategy. Past major incidents include:
* 2016 Nice, France
* 2016 Berlin
* 2017 London (2X)
* 2017 Barcelona
* 2017
Manhattan
* 2018 Toronto
* 2022 Berlin
* 2024 Magdeburg
* 2025 New Orleans
Each of these high-profile attacks had confirmed deliberate intent and significant casualties.
The FBI and Department of Homeland Security continue to warn of possible copy-cat attacks and urge increased caution and situational awareness when attending large public events, and in particular, those adjacent to or on closed public roadways.
AlertsUSA continues to monitor the national and international threat environment and will immediately notify service subscribers of any new alerts, warnings, or advisories impacting the overall threat picture for American citizens, as events warrant. |
