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Toronto incident: suspect in custody after van ploughs into crowd, killing nine Toronto van incident in which 10 pedestrians died appeared deliberate, say police
(about 1 hour later)
Nine people have been killed and 16 injured after a van sped on to a sidewalk in Toronto, ploughing through throngs of pedestrians out enjoying a sunny day and leaving a trail of devastation that stretched several city blocks. Ten people have been killed and 15 injured after a van sped on to a sidewalk in Toronto, ploughing through throngs of pedestrians and leaving a trail of devastation that stretched several city blocks.
The incident occurred around lunchtime on one of the city’s first warm days of the year. Police said they received several calls about a vehicle that appeared to be striking pedestrians along Yonge Street, one of Toronto’s main arteries. The incident occurred around lunchtime on one of the city’s first warm days of the year. Emergency services received several frantic calls about a vehicle that appeared to be striking pedestrians along Yonge Street, one of the city’s main arteries.
Witnesses said the attack – in which the white van travelled roughly 2km (one mile) along the sidewalk – appeared to be deliberate, but police declined to comment on any possible motive. The incident appeared to be deliberate, Mark Saunders, Toronto’s police chief told reporters. The vehicle weaved onto the sidewalk and into oncoming traffic for about three kilometres, he said.
The driver was arrested after a brief confrontation with police and taken into custody. Police did not identify the man, saying only that he was under investigation. Alek Minassian, a 25-year-old man from the nearby town of Richmond Hill, was arrested after a brief confrontation with police. A LinkedIn profile suggested he was studying computer software at a college in Toronto.
“This is going to be a long investigation,” Peter Yuen of the Toronto police service told reporters. “There were a lot of pedestrians out enjoying, a lot of witnesses out enjoying the sunny afternoon.” Officials refused to comment on a motive, but suggested that the incident was not linked to terrorism. “The events that happened on the streets behind us are horrendous,” said Canada’s public safety minister, Ralph Goodale. “But they do not appear to be connected in any way to national security based on the information available at this time.”
Distraught witnesses described watching in shock as the rented van zigzagged through the crowd of pedestrians. “He just went on the sidewalk,” Ali Shaker, who was driving near the van at the time, told the Canadian broadcaster CP24. “He just started hitting everybody, man. He hit every single person on the sidewalk. Anybody in his way he would hit.” Saunders, the police chief, appealed for witnesses to come forward to help with the investigation. “We need to identify if there are more people, if he’s working in concert with anyone, or if this was just a lone act on his own doing.”
Another witness, Peter Kang, told CTV News that the driver seemingly did not want to stop. “If it was an accident he would have stopped,” Kang said. “But the person just went through the sidewalk. He could have stopped.” On Monday evening, Saunders said the majority of the victims had yet to be identified. “Anywhere that this type of event happens, it is shocking. I think we recognise that Toronto is the fourth-largest urban city in North America … and things do happen.”
He hit every single person on the sidewalk.
Distraught witnesses described watching in shock as a rented van zigzagged through the crowd of pedestrians. “He just went on the sidewalk,” Ali Shaker, who was driving near the van at the time, told Canadian broadcaster CP24. He watched as the van reached an estimated speed of up to 70km/h (43mph). “He just started hitting everybody, man. He hit every single person on the sidewalk. Anybody in his way he would hit.”
Christian Ali, who drove down Yonge Street shortly afterwards, said he saw several people lying in the street. “There was a lot of blood flowing,” he told the Guardian. “Everyone was in sheer shock.”Christian Ali, who drove down Yonge Street shortly afterwards, said he saw several people lying in the street. “There was a lot of blood flowing,” he told the Guardian. “Everyone was in sheer shock.”
Another witness, identified only as Ali, told reporters that he had seen the van hit an estimated speed of up to 70km per hour (43 mph). “People were getting hit, one after the other,” he said, struggling to hold back tears. John Flengas of Toronto’s emergency medical services described the incident as surreal. “It’s unprecedented,” he told the Globe and Mail. “We’ve never seen anything like this in Toronto up until now ... we never thought this would happen here.”
He watched as the van sent a stroller flying into the air and worried that those hurt in the incident might have included residents from a nearby retirement home. Police cordoned off several city blocks and suspended services at two nearby subway stations. The incident took place miles north of central Toronto, in a neighbourhood that ranks among the city’s most multicultural. Hours after the incident an impromptu memorial had sprung up. “It could have been anybody,” said Konstantin Goulich, a resident of the area for the past 15 years.
John Flengas of Toronto’s emergency medical services described the incident as surreal. “The numbers are just starting to come in,” he told the Globe and Mail. “It’s unprecedented. We’ve never seen anything like this in Toronto up until now ... we never thought this would happen here.”
Police cordoned off several city blocks and suspended services at two nearby subway stations. The incident took place miles north of Toronto’s downtown core, in a highly multicultural area where nearly 60% of residents were born outside of Canada, according to the 2006 census. Afterwards the area – normally teeming with commuters and pedestrians – was eerily empty as the residents followed police requests to stay off the streets and close any businesses. The van, bearing the Ryder Truck Rental and Leasing logo, sat on a side street, its front crumpled and grill missing.
Hours after the incident the area – normally teeming with commuters and pedestrians – was eerily empty as the residents followed police requests to stay off the streets and close any businesses in the area. The van, bearing the Ryder Truck Rental and Leasing logo, sat on a side street, its hood crumpled and front grill missing. After the driver initially attempted to flee the scene, bystander video captured the tense standoff between police officers and the suspect, showing him waving a dark object in the direction of police. In the footage, a police officer can be heard telling the man to get down on the ground.
After the driver initially attempted to flee the scene, bystander video captured the tense standoff between police officers and the suspect, showing him waving a dark object in the direction of police. In the footage, police can be heard telling the man to get down on the ground. “Kill me,” he tells the lone officer. “I have a gun in my pocket.”
“Kill me,” he tells officers. “I have a gun in my pocket.” The officer warned him if he does not get on the ground, he will be shot. “Shoot me in the head,” he tells them. The officer then arrested the suspect without firing any shots.
The officers warn him if he does not get on the ground, they will shoot. “Shoot me in the head,” he tells them. The officers arrested the suspect without firing any shots. Video of the officer’s actions drew praise on social media, with many noting the officer’s calm and restraint as he confronted the suspect.
While the city’s police chief said there was nothing to indicate the suspect was armed at the time of his arrest, Saunders commended the officer for doing a “fantastic job”, saying that “officers here are taught to use as little force as possible in any given situation”.
The incident took place about 18 miles from the city centre, where foreign ministers from the G7 countries were meeting to discuss international issues before the G7 summit near Quebec City in June.The incident took place about 18 miles from the city centre, where foreign ministers from the G7 countries were meeting to discuss international issues before the G7 summit near Quebec City in June.
Ralph Goodale, Canada’s public safety minister, declined to say on Monday if the incident was being treated as a terror attack. In the wake of the incident, he said there was no evidence to suggest Canada’s national threat level needed to be raised. Toronto’s mayor, John Tory, described the incident as a “cowardly and incomprehensible attack” on Monday.
“There is no information available to me at the present time that would indicate a change in the risk level,” Goodale told reporters in Toronto. “These are not the kinds of things we expect to happen in this city,” he said. “I hope that we will as a city remind ourselves of the fact that we are admired around the world for being inclusive, for being accepting and understanding and considerate.”
Toronto’s mayor, John Tory, described the incident as a terrible tragedy. “These are not the kinds of things we expect to happen in this city,” he said. “I hope that we will as a city remind ourselves of the fact that we are admired around the world for being inclusive, for being accepting and understanding and considerate.”
Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, expressed his condolences to the victims. “Our hearts go out to everyone affected,” he said. “We’re still gathering information, and as soon as we can we’ll share more information with Canadians.”Justin Trudeau, Canada’s prime minister, expressed his condolences to the victims. “Our hearts go out to everyone affected,” he said. “We’re still gathering information, and as soon as we can we’ll share more information with Canadians.”
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