A driver killed nine people as he plowed through a crowd at a Filipino cultural celebration in Vancouver, police said Sunday, ruling out terrorism as motive for the incident in the western Canadian city.
The Filipino community had gathered in Vancouver鈥檚 Sunset on Fraser neighborhood on Saturday evening when festivalgoers were hit.
鈥榃e can confirm nine people have died after a man drove through a crowd at last night鈥檚 Lapu Lapu Festival,鈥� Vancouver police said on X.
The festival, which commemorates a Filipino anti-colonial leader from the 16th century, falls this year on the weekend before Canada鈥檚 election on Monday.
Police spokesman Steve Rai said they have arrested a lone suspect -- a 30-year-old man from Vancouver who was known to them -- but were not treating the incident as an 鈥榓ct of terrorism.鈥�
It was not immediately known if the man actually meant to run people over or this was just a terrible accident.
An AFP reporter saw police officers at the scene, with parts of the festival venue cordoned off.
Prime minister Mark Carney said he was 鈥榙evastated鈥� by the 鈥榟orrific events.鈥�
鈥業 offer my deepest condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured, to the Filipino Canadian community, and to everyone in Vancouver,鈥� he wrote on X.
Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre said in a tweet 鈥業 am shocked by the horrific news emerging from Vancouver鈥檚 Lapu Lapu Day Festival tonight.鈥�
Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos said in a statement he was 鈥榗ompletely shattered to hear about the terrible incident.鈥�
Footage posted online and verified by AFP shows a black SUV with a damaged hood parked on a street littered with debris, meters from first aiders tending to people lying on the ground.
Sheila Nocasa told AFP she left the festival 10 minutes before the incident but began receiving a flurry of messages that something had happened.
鈥業t was a shock,鈥� said the resident of the nearby city of Surrey. 鈥業 feel very sorry and devastated.
Eyewitness Dale Selipe told the Vancouver Sun that she saw injured children on the street after the vehicle rammed into the crowd.
鈥楾here was a lady with her eyes staring up, one of her legs was already broken. One person was holding her hand trying to comfort her,鈥� Selipe told the newspaper.
鈥榃e are still finding the words to express the deep heartbreak brought on by this senseless tragedy,鈥� community group Filipino BC, the organizer of the Saturday event, said in an Instagram statement.
鈥榃e are focused on supporting our community right now, in addition to experiencing this trauma.鈥�
Festival security guard Jen Idaba-Castaneto told local news site Vancouver Is Awesome that she saw bodies everywhere.
鈥榊ou don鈥檛 know who to help, here or there,鈥� she said.
King Charles said he was 鈥榩rofoundly saddened鈥� by the incident.
Saturday鈥檚 event featured a parade, a film screening, dancing and a concert, with two members of the Black Eyed Peas featured on the lineup published by the organizers.
Lapu Lapu Day is celebrated in the Philippines in remembrance of Indigenous chief Lapulapu, who led his men to defeat Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in battle in 1521.
Canadians go to the polls Monday after a frenetic election race where candidates have wooed voters on issues including rising living costs and tackling US President Donald Trump鈥檚 tariffs.
Carney is favored to win after assuring voters he can stand up to Washington鈥檚 barrage of sweeping tariffs.