262990
257612

BC News

Sixteen victims remain in hospital after Lapu Lapu festival attack

16 victims still in hospital

Five days after a deadly attack at a Vancouver Filipino festival 16 people remain in the hospital.

Const. Tania Visintin with the Vancouver Police Department says as of Wednesday, five people are in critical condition and one person is in serious condition.

"There are others who have been discharged and other people who have gone to hospitals or clinics on their own,” she says.

Seven women, two men, one nonbinary person and one child were killed after a driver drove a black Audi SUV through the Lapu Lapu festival crowd of people on April 26 just after 8 p.m.

Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, of Vancouver, has been arrested and charged with eight counts of second-degree murder.

When asked questions about the encounters police or mental health workers have had with the suspect, police said they are not prepared to speak to these details.

“We’re not getting into his history,” she says. “It’s just something we’re not prepared to speak to.”

Vancouver Coastal Health confirmed in an email that the suspect was under the supervision of a healthcare team, compliant with treatment and on “extended leave” in accordance with the Mental Health Act.

“In this situation, the care team followed established guidelines for a client on extended leave, and there was no indication this person was not following their treatment plan or presented a public safety risk,” VCH said.

“Extended leave is intended to help clients maintain their treatment plans while transitioning back to community for ongoing support. Extended leave allows people to be readmitted quickly if cause presents itself.

Visintin says it is just day five of a mass murder investigation and if more charges are approved police will notify reporters.

“It’s an evolving investigation,” she says. “There are many processes in place … we need to do this very thoroughly, methodically so we can get the best outcome.”

Investigators are doing a comprehensive video canvas spanning a 25-block radius along with witness interviews and reviewing all the tips that came in.

So far, 200 witnesses have come forward to police.

“It’s going to take some time,” says Visintin.



More BC News