Flags at half-mast at Richmond City Hall in wake of Filipino street party tragedy

Flags lowered to half-mast

Photo: Photo Mike Howell .

Bella Ayque placed flowers Sunday at a growing memorial at East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street for the victims killed and injured in Saturday night’s deadly attack at the Lapu-Lapu festival.

The flags at Richmond City Hall will be lowered to half-mast for this week to commemorate the deaths of 11 people on Saturday at the Lapu Lapu Day Festival in Vancouver.

Richmond Mayor Malcolm Brodie released a statement on Monday morning extending the city’s condolences and “deepest sympathies” to everyone affected by the incident.

“The loss of eleven cherished members of the Filipino Canadian community and the injuries suffered by many others have touched us profoundly,” Brodie said in a statement.

Kai-Ji Adam Lo is facing eight murder charges after allegedly driving through a crowd that was at the street party festival at John Oliver secondary at Fraser Street and 41st Avenue.

Initially, nine people were said to have died, but the death toll rose to 11 on Sunday morning.

Police say Lo has had many interactions with police due to mental-health issues.

“Richmond mourns alongside our neighbours in Vancouver and the wider Filipino community,” Brodie said.

“We recognize that many Richmond residents may have attended the celebration or have loved ones who were present when the tragedy occurred. We encourage anyone who is experiencing distress to reach out for help.”

If you or someone you know needs help, reach out:

BC Mental Health Support Line – Call 310-6789 (24/7, no area code) or visit crisiscentre.bc.ca for free, confidential mental-health support.

VictimLinkBC – Call or text 1-800-563-0808 (24/7, multilingual) or email [email protected] for confidential information, referrals, and crisis support for all victims of crime or violence.