On Saturday (April 26), 11 people died and more than 20 were injured when an SUV barrelled into the crowd at Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day festival, a celebration of Filipino-Canadian culture that drew a crowd of 100,000 at its peak time this year. As per CBC, the 30-year-old driver, Kai-Ji Adam, is facing eight counts under Section 235 of the Criminal Code of Canada, which accounts for both first- and second-degree murder.
The mass casualty incident took place at around 8 p.m. PT, after the Black Eyed Peas' Apl.de.Ap headlining DJ set. Alongside sharing some resources, the Filipino-American spoke out about the incident on social media.
"Our hearts are broken for the victims, their families, and everyone affected by the tragedy at the Lapu-Lapu Festival," Apl.de.Ap wrote in a statement shared to Instagram. "J-Rey and I had just finished performing and left the stage minutes before it happened. It's hard to describe the shock and the heaviness we feel."
He continued, "Thank you to everyone who's checked in — your love means the world. Please keep the victims, their families, and the organizers in your prayers. They need all the love and strength right now. The one thing I have noticed — from the audience to the messages sent around, is the sense of community that wraps its loving arms around us. We love you all."
The festival had opened with a performance by Filipino-Canadian multidisciplinary artist Kaya Ko, who also addressed the tragedy in a series of since-disappeared Instagram Stories [via Stereogum], writing, "This was not an accident. This was a massacre. I am at a loss for words. Praying that everyone is taken care of and praying for the souls, lives taken and families affected by this terrible crime."
Ko added in some more recent story posts that they will be busking today by the community centre in Vancouver's Mount Pleasant neighbourhood for those that will be in that area to vote in the federal election, "or anyone who needs a bit of music medicine." The busking session will also be aired on the singer-songwriter's Instagram Live, and they'll be accepting donations via e-Transfer.
Steve Rai, the interim Vancouver police chief, told reporters yesterday (April 27) that the senseless violence at Lapu Lapu made for one of the darkest days in the city's history. "The actions of a single person shattered our collective sense of safety," he said. "It is impossible to overstate how many lives have been impacted forever by this lone individual."