Lapu Lapu Day Attacks
At approximately 20:14 local time on April 26th, 2025, a Black Audi Q7 SUV drove through a crowd at the Vancouver Lapu Lapu Day Filipino cultural festival, killing at least eleven and injuring at least thirty-two additional individuals. These numbers may not represent the total number of fatalities and injuries, as reports of both are still being reported at the time of writing. Many victims were transported to Vancouver General Hospital.
According to their website, the event was planned to take place from 11:00 to 20:00 near East 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street, Vancouver, Canada. The incident occurred in the food truck section of the venue following a concert performance. At the time of the attack, event workers were packing up to leave the venue. Multiple eye-witness reports describe the vehicle coming from the direction of John Oliver Secondary School. The driver allegedly revved the vehicle’s engine before speeding up into the crowd. Witnesses also describe the attacker exiting his vehicle before being chased down by attendees of the festival and being held against a fence for approximately ten minutes before authorities arrived and detained the suspect.
Heavy vehicle barricades were not deployed at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival following consultations for risk assessment between local police and event organizers.
National Democratic Party leader Jagmeet Singh had been present at the festival approximately five minutes preceding the attack. This occurred two days before Canada’s general election on April 28th, 2025. East 43rd Avenue has been temporarily closed following the attack.
A thirty-year-old Asian male suspect from Vancouver, Kai-Ji Adam Lo, has been identified, detained, and charged on multiple counts of murder. He was known to the Vancouver Police for causes related to mental health. His vehicle’s front was damaged during the exchange (pictured below).
Figure 1: Suspect vehicle following attack
The case has been turned over to the Vancouver Police Department’s Major Crime Section, with more than 100 police officers reportedly having joined the investigation. His motive is not yet known, but police have dismissed allegations that the incident was an instance of terrorism for the time being.