Nine people are dead after a vehicle plowed through a Vancouver street festival being staged by the city’s Filipino community Saturday night, leaving a trail of debris and victims in its wake.
The driver, a 30-year-old Vancouver man, has been arrested, Vancouver police said.
Several others were injured when the suspect 鈥渄rove into a large crowd鈥 at the street festival at East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street just after 8 p.m. local time Saturday, according to officers.聽
Police have not yet clarified how many were injured in the attack but did say they can confirm nine deaths, as of 6 a.m. EDT.聽
“At this time, we are confident that this incident was not an act of terrorism,” the force added in an update to social media.聽
Witness聽Nic Magtajas described an SUV going at high speed and striking pedestrians.
鈥淚 saw a bunch people go over, go high up from the impact of hitting the car and such,鈥 he said.
Witnesses describe scenes of carnage and violence at Lapu Lapu street festival
The Lapu Lapu Day festival was underway in the South Vancouver neighbourhood, with flags and food carts lining the streets for what was billed by organizers as a party to honour “the rich tapestry of cultures that make up the beautiful mosaic of British Columbia and the Philippines alike.”
Video posted on social media showed victims and debris strewn across a long stretch of road, with at least seven people lying immobile on the ground.
Vancouver Police secure the scene where a car drove into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver on Saturday April 26, 2025. There has been a number of fatalities and numerous injuries. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rich Lam
Rich Lam The Canadian PressMagtajas and Jihed Issa were working at a store facing the festival and said they initially had their backs to the scene when they heard a car engine revving and turned around and look.
鈥淎nd then we just see him go full speed through a bunch of people,鈥 said Magtajas, 19.聽
Magtajas described the sound of the impacts and said each contact with the vehicle was 鈥渟o loud.鈥澛
鈥淛ust a lot of loud bangs, not to mention the engine revving as well,鈥 he said.
Issa, 17, said he saw the black SUV going through the entire crowd on the street.
鈥淧eople were screaming,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t (the vehicle) went all the way to the end of the street,” he said.
鈥淎fter it happened, I ran outside to the street and I was trying to figure out what happened. I made it to halfway into the street, looked around (and) there was a lot of people panicking, people on the floor 鈥 bodies, if you will.鈥
Issa said he saw the SUV come to a stop at the end of the street, with smoke coming from it.
The driver was apprehended by a crowd of people before he was taken into police custody, according to Steve Rai, the acting Vancouver Police chief, who added that the suspect was “known to police in certain circumstances.”
Rai could not speak to the motive of the driver.
“It would be unfair of me to talk about those details at this point,” Rai said while speaking to reporters just after聽midnight local time.
Vancouver Police look over a black car believed to be involved in an incident where a vehicle drove into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver on Saturday April 26, 2025. There has been a number of fatalities and numerous injuries. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rich Lam
Rich Lam The Canadian PressPolice have set up a 24-hour聽聽for the victims聽and have their “entire investigative component” working on the case with help from other officers, Rai said.
The acting chief told reporters that he was not briefed on the level of security at the festival, saying that “different events have different formulas.”
Political leaders react with shock, offer support to Filipino community
“I am shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific incident at today鈥檚 Lapu Lapu Day event. We will work to provide more information as soon as we can,” Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim said in a post to social media.
I am shocked and deeply saddened by the horrific incident at today鈥檚 Lapu Lapu Day event. We will work to provide more information as soon as we can, but at this time have confirmed that there are a number of fatalities and multiple injuries. Our thoughts are with鈥
鈥 Mayor Ken Sim (@KenSimCity)
“Our thoughts are with all those affected and with Vancouver鈥檚 Filipino community during this incredibly difficult time.”
B.C. Premier David Eby said that he is in contact with the city and “will provide any support needed.”
“My thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones.”
Shocked & heartbroken to hear of the lives lost & those injured at the Lapu Lapu festival. Police are investigating & a suspect is in custody. We are in contact with the City of Vancouver and will provide any support needed. My thoughts are with the victims and their loved ones.
鈥 David Eby (@Dave_Eby)
The incident immediately impacted the last hours of the federal election campaign on Sunday.
The Liberals delayed the start of its leaders’ tour, as Mark Carney was scheduled to attend an event in Hamilton before blitzing across Canada with stops in Saskatchewan, Alberta, and British Columbia. That included an event in Metro Vancouver.
Spokespeople for the Conservative and New Democrats campaigns did not immediately respond Sunday morning when asked whether the events in Vancouver impacted their plans.
Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre was scheduled to campaign in the GTA and Ottawa, while NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh 鈥 who attended Sunday’s festival in Vancouver where the incident took place聽鈥 was scheduled to campaign in B.C.
Carney said he was “devastated to hear about the horrific events.”聽
“I offer my deepest condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured, to the Filipino Canadian community, and to everyone in Vancouver. We are all mourning with you. We are monitoring the situation closely, and thankful to our first responders for their swift action.”
I am devastated to hear about the horrific events at the Lapu Lapu festival in Vancouver earlier this evening.
鈥 Mark Carney (@MarkJCarney)
I offer my deepest condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured, to the Filipino Canadian community, and to everyone in Vancouver. We are all mourning with鈥
Singh was “horrified” to learn of the incident “that injured and killed innocent people.”
I am horrified to learn of an incident at Vancouver鈥檚 Lapu Lapu Day celebrations that injured and killed innocent people.
鈥 Jagmeet Singh (@theJagmeetSingh)
As we wait to learn more, our thoughts are with the victims and their families 鈥 and Vancouver鈥檚 Filipino community, who were coming together today to鈥
“As we wait to learn more, our thoughts are with the victims and their families聽鈥 and Vancouver鈥檚 Filipino community, who were coming together today to celebrate resilience,” Singh said in a post to X.
Singh had made a campaign stop at the festival earlier in the day, before the attack.聽
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh poses for photos during a campaign stop at a Lapu Lapu Day block party, in Vancouver, on Saturday, April 26, 2025.聽
Darryl Dyck THE CANADIAN PRESSPoilievre also posted a statement condemning the incident.聽
“My thoughts are with the Filipino community and all the victims targeted by this senseless attack.”
I am shocked by the horrific news emerging from Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day Festival tonight.
鈥 Pierre Poilievre (@PierrePoilievre)
My thoughts are with the Filipino community and all the victims targeted by this senseless attack. Thank you to the first responders who are at the scene as we wait to hear more.
“On behalf of the people of Ontario, I want to express my heartfelt condolences to the families and friends of those who lost their lives and to everyone impacted by the tragic events at Vancouver鈥檚 Lapu-Lapu Day festival,” Premier Doug Ford said in a . “This horrific act of violence has left us all in shock.
“Our thoughts are with the Filipino community in Vancouver and across Canada during this incredibly difficult time.”
Lapu Lapu Day is one of the biggest celebrations in the Philippines and was officially recognized by British Columbia two years ago.聽
The day is named after an Indigenous resistance fighter in the Philippines who fought against Spanish colonization in the 16th century.
Organizers had said it was an opportunity to mark 鈥渢he enduring impact on Filipino values, notably the spirit of bayanihan 鈥 the collective community effort.鈥
Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver expressed ‘deep concern’
The Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver expressed their “deep concern and sympathies to the victims,”聽
“As we await more information about the incident, we pray that our community remains strong and resilient imbued with the spirit of bayanihan during this difficult time.”
A victim lies near a food truck after a car drove into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver on Saturday April 26, 2025.聽
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Rich LamFestival partner ‘devastated,’ calls on people to avoid sharing videos online
Filipino BC, a local cultural society and a partner of the Lapu Lapu Day street festival, said they are focused on supporting the community while they are also “experiencing this trauma.”
“We are still finding the words to express the deep heartbreak brought on by this senseless tragedy. We are devastated for the families and victims,”
The group was encouraging people to “check in, support and hold each other,” and access any available resources.
“We also want to make it clear that we discourage the viewing and sharing of the videos that are currently circulating of the tragedy,” they added.
This is a developing story.
