Vancouver Lapu-Lapu Festival Tragedy: 11 Dead, 20+ Hurt as SUV Plows Into Crowd

Eleven people are dead and at least twenty more injured after a black Audi SUV sped through the barricades of Vancouver’s Lapu-Lapu Day Block Party on Saturday night, scattering hundreds of festival-goers celebrating Filipino heritage. Bystanders subdued a 30-year-old Vancouver man until police arrived; he has since been charged with eight counts of murder, with more charges expected as the death toll may rise.

Interim Police Chief Steve Rai called it “the darkest day in our city’s history,” noting the suspect had a lengthy record of police and mental-health interactions but no known extremist ties. Investigators say evidence points to an isolated act of violence rather than terrorism, though motive remains unclear. Victims, including children, were rushed to nine hospitals in a mass-casualty “code orange” response.

Prime Minister Mark Carney, B.C. Premier David Eby and local Filipino-Canadian leaders expressed shock and grief, urging Canadians to support the wounded and the tight-knit community shaken by the attack. Vancouver will maintain heightened security for Sunday’s Sun Run as police sift through video, witness statements and the SUV itself to piece together how a day of cultural pride turned to horror in seconds.