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2018 Toronto van attack

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Toronto van attack
Attack location is located in Toronto
Attack location
Attack location
Attack location (Toronto)
Attack location is located in Canada
Attack location
Attack location
Attack location (Canada)
LocationNorth York City Centre, North York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
DateApril 23, 2018 (2018-04-23)
1:27 p.m. (EDT)
Attack type
Vehicle-ramming attack
Deaths10
Injured15
Map
About OpenStreetMaps
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1km
0.6miles
Attack began
Attack began
Mel Lastman Square
Mel Lastman Square
Van stopped
Van stopped

The Toronto van attack occurred on April 23, 2018, when a rented white full-size moving van was driven into pedestrians at speed along Yonge Street in the North York City Centre business district of Toronto, killing 10 and wounding 15 others.[1] The suspected driver, 25-year-old Alek Minassian, was arrested 26 minutes after the attack started, just south of the crime scene.[2] It is the deadliest vehicle-ramming attack in Canadian history[3][4] and the worst mass killing in Canada since 1989, when an arson incident at the Rupert Hotel in Toronto killed ten people.[5][6]

Incident

Police were advised of an incident at 1:27 p.m. EDT.[2][7] A Chevrolet Express van, rented from Ryder, was driven southbound on Yonge Street from Finch Avenue towards Sheppard Avenue,[8] running a red light and jumping onto the sidewalk, striking multiple pedestrians[7][9] and leaving a crime scene over a dozen city blocks.[10] A witness said the driver looked the victims directly in the eye during the attack and acted like he was "playing a video game, trying to kill as many people as possible".[11] The deaths of pedestrians occurred along a 1.4-kilometre (0.87 mi) stretch of Yonge Street from Finch Street to Mel Lastman Square, a civic plaza on the west side of Yonge Street.

aerial view of Mel Lastman Square looking west from across the street
Mel Lastman Square, as viewed in Spring 2015 from a building across Yonge Street. The North York Civic Centre can be seen in the background and the North York Centre building on the right.

A Toronto Police Service officer, identified as Constable Ken Lam, confronted the suspected driver of the damaged van, which was stopped about 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) south of where the attack began, on the north sidewalk on Poyntz Avenue, just west of Yonge Street and two blocks south of Sheppard Avenue, with the suspected driver standing near the opened driver-side door.[8][12] During the confrontation, the suspect repeatedly gestured his hand from his back pocket toward the police officer and pointed a cell phone as if it were a pistol.[12][1][13] It appears the man tried provoking the officer to kill him, saying "in the head!" when the officer warned him he may be shot. As the suspect and the officer advanced towards each other, the officer recognized that the object in the suspect's hand was not a weapon, holstered his pistol, and took out his baton. The suspect was arrested uninjured at 1:52 p.m., without any shots being fired.[14][15] No gun was found on the suspect at the time of the arrest.[16]

Paramedics were dispatched immediately to the site and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre was activated as an emergency centre. Nine persons were confirmed to have died at the scene and 16 injured. At 8:15 p.m. the Toronto Police Service announced that a tenth person had died. Sunnybrook treated ten victims. The hospital reported that two persons arrived without vital signs and were pronounced dead on arrival, five were in critical condition, two serious and one in fair condition.[17]

Suspect

Alek Minassian
Born (1992-11-03) November 3, 1992 (age 31)[citation needed]
EducationThornlea Secondary School
Seneca College
Known forToronto van attack, 2018
Criminal statusIncarcerated, awaiting trial
Criminal chargeFirst-degree murder (10 counts)
Attempted murder (13 counts)

Police identified the suspect as 25-year-old Alek Minassian, who has no prior criminal history.[18][19] According to his LinkedIn profile, he was a student at Seneca College in North York from 2011 to 2018 and lives in Richmond Hill,[2][20] a suburb north of Toronto.[21] He was a software and mobile app developer.[22] His former classmates at Thornlea Secondary School described him as "not overly social" and "harmless".[23][24] Police vehicles were seen at the suspect's residence, and neighbours told reporters that there was no disorder at the suspect's household or in the neighbourhood.[25] In late 2017, Minassian was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces for two months, before he requested to be voluntarily released after 16 days of recruit training.[26]

Minassian completed his Seneca program the week before the attack. Two Seneca students interviewed gave conflicting descriptions of him, according to Les Perreaux of The Globe and Mail: "One as a socially awkward student who rarely spoke, barely functioned and had difficulty controlling tics, and another as an expert-level whiz who could lead classmates through the intricacies of computer chips."[27]

Following the attack, a Facebook post attributed to Minassian circulated online which indicated he may have identified with the so-called involuntary celibate movement.[28][29] The post, dated to shortly before the attack began on April 23, claimed that "the Incel Rebellion has... begun" and praised the mass murderer behind the California 2014 Isla Vista killings.[30][31] The account that made the post was confirmed to be his by Facebook spokespeople.[28][30][31]

On April 24, Minassian appeared before the Ontario Court of Justice in a Toronto courthouse, shackled, and wearing a white prison jumpsuit. He was charged with ten counts of first degree murder and 13 counts of attempted murder. He did not have a lawyer and was ordered not to contact any of the 13 alleged attempted murder victims.[18][32] He was scheduled to return to court on May 10, 2018.[32]

Victims

Toronto police reported the victims were predominantly female, ranging in age from their mid-20s to mid-80s.[18]

The first of the deceased to be identified was Anne Marie D'Amico, an analyst who worked on Yonge Street.[33] The South Korean government announced two of its nationals were killed, and a third was injured.[34] Seneca College reported that one of its students was killed.[35] Jordanian national Munir Najjar was also killed.[36]

Aftermath

Rail and bus services in the area of the attack were affected until the following day.[12] Parts of Yonge Street were cordoned off until late on April 24.[37][38][10] Civic buildings in the area were closed late April 23 and remained closed throughout April 24.[39]

Security was heightened around a meeting of G7 security ministers being held in Toronto in advance of the 44th G7 summit in La Malbaie, Quebec.[40] The ministers were briefed on the attack shortly after it occurred and the day after the attack the meeting's agenda included discussion on "soft targets" and online youth radicalization.[41]

Roads were closed and blocked off with dump trucks around the Air Canada Centre due to safety concerns for fans gathered at Maple Leaf Square to watch the National Hockey League playoff game between the Toronto Maple Leafs and Boston Bruins.[42][43] A moment of silence was observed during the game in sympathy for the victims.[44]

Reactions

Many domestic and international leaders expressed their support and condolences, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,[45] Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer,[45] Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne,[9] United States Ambassador to Canada Kelly Knight Craft,[46] and British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson.[47] Toronto Mayor John Tory added that he had "offered any and all assistance that the city can provide to police to help this investigation". U.S. President Donald Trump and French President Emmanuel Macron expressed their sympathies and condolences when addressing the press at the White House the next day.[48]

Lighting at the CN Tower and the 3D Toronto sign at Nathan Phillips Square were colourless and dimmed for the evening of April 23. Flags were placed at half-mast at most government locations in Toronto and surrounding municipalities.[49]

An impromptu memorial at Olive Square on the east side of Yonge Street, directly across the street from where the attack began, was set up by local residents for people to place flowers and express their grief in writing.[50] A smaller memorial with flowers and written condolences was also established next to the fountain at the entry to Mel Lastman Square around which at least 2 people had died. A crowd-funding campaign was set up to raise money for the expenses of the victims' families.[51] Residents in the area came forward with offers of assistance to those in need.[51] The City of Toronto is also setting up the #TorontoStrong Fund, to support victims and their families, first responders, and those affected by trauma.[18]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Hayes, Molly; Friesen, Joe; Moore, Oliver (April 23, 2018). "Ten people dead, 15 injured after van hits pedestrians in north Toronto". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  2. ^ a b c "9 dead, 16 injured after van strikes pedestrians in North York". CBC News. April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  3. ^ Austen, Ian; Stack, Liam (April 23, 2018). "Toronto Van Plows Along Sidewalk, Killing 9 in 'Pure Carnage'". The New York Times. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  4. ^ "Canada's Trudeau says security unchanged after Toronto van attack – France 24". France 24. April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  5. ^ "A Grim History of Mass Killings in Canada". PressReader.com. Toromto Star. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  6. ^ "A history of violence on Canadian soil". MSN.com. Toronto Star. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Multiple pedestrians struck by van in Toronto". Toronto Sun. April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  8. ^ a b McLean, Jesse; Welsh, Moira; Palamarchuk, Andrew (April 23, 2018). "10 dead, 15 hurt as van mows down pedestrians along Yonge St.; suspect named". Toronto Star. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  9. ^ a b Kassam, Ashifa; Cecco, Leyland (April 23, 2018). "Toronto incident: suspect in custody after van ploughs into crowd, killing nine". The Guardian. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  10. ^ a b Ha, Tu Thanh; Gray, Jeff; Hayes, Molly (April 23, 2018). "Massive investigation into Toronto van attack will shut down parts of Yonge Street for days". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  11. ^ Crilly, Rob; Guly, Christopher; Molloy, Mark (April 24, 2018). "What do we know about Alek Minassian, arrested after Toronto van attack?". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  12. ^ a b c Rocha, Veronica; Ries, Brian (April 23, 2018). "Van strikes pedestrians in Toronto". CNN. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  13. ^ Sabur, Rozina; Riley-Smith, Ben; Guly, Christopher; Crilly, Rob (April 23, 2018). "Suspect named after van ploughs into pedestrians in Toronto leaving ten dead and 15 injured". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  14. ^ Joseph, Rebecca (April 23, 2018). "'Get down or you'll be shot': Video shows police standoff with suspect in Toronto van attack". Global News. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  15. ^ "Toronto van attack: How is the suspect not dead?". BBC News. April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  16. ^ "What we know about the man charged in the deadly Toronto van attack | CBC News". CBC. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  17. ^ "Sunnybrook receives injured from Yonge and Finch". sunnybrook.ca. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. April 23, 2018.
  18. ^ a b c d Powell, Betsy; Pagliaro, Jennifer; Gillis, Wendy (April 24, 2018). "Most victims in van rampage on Yonge St. were women, police say". Toronto Star. Retrieved April 24, 2018. Minassian was ordered not to have contact with any of the 13 attempt murder victims and when asked if he understood, he sharply said, "Yes."
  19. ^ Goodfield, Kayla; Wilson, Codi (April 23, 2018). "Van attack that killed 10 people in North York was 'definitely deliberate': police". cp24.com. CP24.
  20. ^ "Toronto: Van strikes pedestrians in Toronto, killing 9 and injuring 16". CBS News. April 23, 2018.
  21. ^ "Toronto van: Ten dead and 15 injured as pedestrians are hit". BBC News. London. April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  22. ^ Orfanides, Effie (April 23, 2018). "Alek Minassian's Social Media: What's Known So Far".
  23. ^ "What we know about Alek Minassian, alleged driver in deadly Toronto van attack". CBC. April 23, 2018.
  24. ^ Agencies (April 24, 2018). "Deadly Toronto van driver: What we know about Alek Minassian". GulfNews. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  25. ^ "'That's a tragedy': Toronto van attack suspect's neighbour reacts to loss of life – Watch News Videos Online". Global News. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  26. ^ Frisk, Adam (April 24, 2018). "Toronto van attack: What we know about suspect Alek Minassian". Global News. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  27. ^ Perreaux, Les (April 23, 2018). "Suspect in Toronto van attack described as socially awkward, tech expert". The Globe and Mail.
  28. ^ a b "What we know about Alek Minassian, alleged driver in deadly Toronto van attack". CBC. April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  29. ^ "Why some 'incels' are celebrating accused in Toronto van attack". CBC. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  30. ^ a b Fox, Chris (April 24, 2018). "Facebook post connected to van attack suspect's profile references 'Incel Rebellion'". CP24. Retrieved April 24, 2018. {{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  31. ^ a b O'Kane, Josh (April 24, 2018). "Facebook post connected to suspect in van rampage cites 'incel rebellion'". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  32. ^ a b Wilson, Codi (April 24, 2018). "Suspect in Toronto van attack charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder, 13 counts of attempted murder". CTV News. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  33. ^ Dangerfield, Katie (April 24, 2018). "First of 10 victims killed in Toronto van attack identified as Anne Marie D'Amico". Global News. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  34. ^ "2 S. Koreans killed in Toronto van attack". The Korea Herald. Yonhap. April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  35. ^ Gibson, Victoria (April 24, 2018). "Details emerging of victims killed on Yonge St". Toronto Star.
  36. ^ Gibson, Victoria; Gordon, Andrea (April 24, 2018). "Jordanian man confirmed dead in Toronto van rampage". Toronto Star. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  37. ^ DeClerq, Katherine (April 23, 2018). "Investigation into deadly van incident closes roads in North York". CP24. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  38. ^ @TorontoPolice (April 23, 2018). "It is anticipated that investigators will be on scene for several days, leading to road closures. Alternate routes instead of Yonge Street are Beecroft Road and Doris Avenue" (Tweet). Retrieved April 23, 2018 – via Twitter.
  39. ^ Breen, Kerri (April 24, 2018). "Toronto van attack: road closures remain in effect Tuesday morning". Global News.
  40. ^ Brewster, Murray (April 22, 2018). "G7 ministers sit down in Toronto to a full plate of world troubles". CBC News. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  41. ^ Brewster, Murray (April 24, 2018). "G7 security ministers gathered in Toronto discuss 'soft targets' and online radicalization after van attack". CBC News. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  42. ^ "Security Heighten Outside Air Canada Centre Prior Maple Leafs Game". CFTR. April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  43. ^ "Air Canada Centre and Maple Leaf Square, Traffic restrictions and security enhancements". torontopolice.on.ca. April 23, 2018.
  44. ^ Nielsen, Kevin (April 23, 2018). "Maple Leafs hold moment of silence for victims of Toronto van attack". globalnews.ca. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  45. ^ a b "Trudeau, Wynne react to Toronto van attack". CTV News. April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  46. ^ Knight Craft, Kelly [@USAmbCanada] (April 23, 2018). "Hearing about the horrific incident in Toronto this afternoon. Joe and I are praying for those affected, their families, and the first responders at the scene" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  47. ^ Johnson, Boris [@BorisJohnson] (April 23, 2018). "Very sad to see the news of the incident in Toronto earlier today, as I was visiting the city. My thoughts with those affected, their families and friends, and the emergency services personnel responding" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  48. ^ "Remarks by President Trump and President Macron of France at Arrival Ceremony". The White House. April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  49. ^ Abadi, Mahem (April 23, 2018). "Toronto sign dimmed, flags lowered to honour victims of deadly van attack". Global News.
  50. ^ "Local resident starts memorial outside scene of van attack". CityNews. April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  51. ^ a b Racco, Marilisa (April 23, 2018). "In the wake of the Toronto van attack, good deeds surge. You can help too". Global News. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  52. ^ "Air India 182: How much does Canada care about the worst mass murder in its history?". CBC News. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
  53. ^ "Polytechnique massacre remembered in Montreal". CBC News. Retrieved April 25, 2018.
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