30 year old Vancouver suspect driver arrested in Flipino festival crash that left 8 dead and six injured during Lapu Lapu Day Festival incident. Police declined to say whether episode was an intentional attack or an accident?
Canada police have arrested a 30 year old Vancouver man who they allege plowed his black SUV Audi vehicle into revellers during Saturday night’s Lapu Lapu Day Festival, leaving scores dead and countless others injured.
During a press briefing, the Vancouver Police Department announced a 30-year-old local Vancouver man was arrested at the scene. Police further stated that the suspect was known to police ‘in certain circumstances’ without further elaborating.
‘We will provide more information as the investigation unfolds,’ Vancouver Police interim Chief Steve Rai stated, declining to say further until a Sunday morning news conference.
Vancouver Filipino festival accident wasn’t act of terrorism cops say
Una camioneta atropelló a la multitud en el Festival del Día de #LapuLapu en #Vancouver, matando a más de 8 personas e hiriendo a decenas.
La policía confirmó que el conductor fue arrestado.
El ataque fue durante el festival en honor al héroe filipino Datu Lapu-Lapu. pic.twitter.com/zOykzUY8Fd
— 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙤 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙮 (@Mario_Moray) April 27, 2025
The driver of the vehicle who drove into the crowd at Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver. Asian male and possibly mentally challenged
#Canada #Vancouver #Ontario #Toronto #onpoli #canpoli #USA #BreakingNews #terror #Montreal #Quebec #Alberta #Calgary
— Open Mic X (@OpenMicX) April 27, 2025
30 year old Vancouver suspect driver: ‘I’m sorry!’
Rai further added, ‘There are still family members who need to be contacted.’
The driver who appeared to be of Asian descent was heard apologising whilst being held by bystanders prior to police taking him to custody.
‘Why did you do it?’ The man is repeatedly asked by jeering witnesses.
‘I’m sorry!’ the man says back to the baying crowd.
The tragedy unfolded at around 20:14 local time when the 30 year old drove into a large crowd at the Filipino Lapu Lapu Day Festival near East 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street, police stated.
Vancouver Police confirmed that a ‘number of people’ had been killed along with ‘multiple others’ injured. Not immediately clear is whether the incident was accidental or intentional or a case of reckless conduct?
Additional footage from the scene of the incident at the Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver, Canada, in which an individual drove through a crowd of festivalgoers on a closed-off street, with reports right now suggesting 5-10 fatalities and well over a dozen injuries. The suspect is… pic.twitter.com/WNfYp9mXDh
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) April 27, 2025
Vancouver Filipino festival horror
The motive and why the suspect drove into the crowd remained unclear.
‘I would be speculating if I stated a factor in it,’ Rai told reporters. ‘We will have more details in the morning.’
Eyewitness, Yoseb Vardeh, a food truck operator, said he heard ‘an engine rev’ before looking down the road and seeing ‘bodies everywhere’. ‘He went through the whole block, he went straight down the middle,’ he told local media.
The Vancouver Sun reported that ‘the event was coming to a close, with many lingering after a concert, when a vehicle suddenly drove into a pedestrian-only area,’ ‘revving past food trucks and striking a number of festival goers.’
Suspect who drove into crowd at Lapu Lapu Festival identified as 30-year-old Vancouver man. A man driving a black Audi SUV drove into a large crowd attending the Lapu Lapu Day Festival near East 43rd Avenue and Fraser Street. #Canada Driver arrested.https://t.co/CZKAfOYeC2 pic.twitter.com/FreItY5q4V
— News Channel3 Now (@newschannel3now) April 27, 2025
Abigail Andiso told the Vancouver Sun she was with friends when ‘she heard two loud bangs, then screaming and yelling.’
‘There were bodies on the street. They were run over. Some were already dead on the spot,’ Andiso, who called 911, said.
Andiso’s companion, Dale Selipe, saw a toddler injured, another child with an open scalp wound, bodies twisted and ‘a lady with her eyes staring up, one of her legs was already broken.’
Kris Pangilinan, a Toronto-based journalist, told Canada’s CBC that as crews lifted a barricade that had been blocking traffic to allow a vehicle to enter, one car suddenly sped up and struck a person.
‘[The driver] just slammed the pedal down and rammed into hundreds of people. It was like seeing a bowling ball hit — all the bowling pins and all the pins flying up in the air,’ he added.
‘It was like a war zone . There were bodies all over the ground,’ he said.
