The Vancouver police have identified the suspect in the devastating attack that killed a minimum of 11 individuals at the Lapu Lapu Day festival on Saturday as 30-year-old Kai-Ji Adam Lo.
A mentally disturbed driver, Lo is currently charged with eight counts of second-degree murder after he allegedly drove into a group of festival participants celebrating Filipino culture. The tragic event happened as the celebration was ending near the Memorial Causeway Bridge in Vancouver.
Troubling history of mental illness and tragedy in the family
Lo’s family had apparently tried to seek him mental health assistance just hours before the attack. Sources indicated that a family member called a hospital psych ward, asking for help with Lo, who was thought to be experiencing delusions and paranoia. But it is not known if any action was taken immediately after the call.
Still, authorities have been emphasizing that Lo’s past history of mental illnesses, and not terrorism, seems to be the reason behind his attack.
Lo’s family has been struggling with deep loss over the past few years.
Lo’s 31-year-old brother, Alexander, was murdered in a Vancouver residence in January 2024. A 39-year-old man was taken into custody over his murder, but there is not much known about the incident.
Lo’s sadness was evident, as he posted on a fundraising page to cover funeral expenses: “Our reality has abruptly shifted. Despite our disagreements, the harsh truth that he’s no longer with us hits me with an overwhelming force.”
Several months after the tragedy, Lo posted another heart-wrenching news on the same page, stating that his mother had tried to kill herself.
The fatal rampage
The fatal Saturday night rampage happened at around 8 p.m. as the Lapu Lapu Day festival was ending. There were hundreds of revelers on the street, as organizers started removing barriers. Lo allegedly used this opportunity to floor it down the street in a black sport utility vehicle, broadsiding the group, and creating mayhem. “He just floored it and ran over hundreds of people,” said Kris Pangilinan, a festival attendee who compared the sight to “a bowling ball crashing into all of the pins and the pins going flying up in the air.
The victims’ ages varied between 5 to 65 years, with scores more injured. The youngest casualty was only five years old. The situation immediately turned into a mass casualty event, and several victims were taken by helicopter by emergency responders.
Ongoing investigation and reactions
Vancouver police confirmed that Lo was familiar to law enforcement and mental health workers prior to the incident. Police also indicated that there had been no previous interactions with Lo in the hours leading up to the attack at the festival. “This is the darkest day in our city’s history,” Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai said in a press conference on Sunday.
The probe is continuing, with additional charges to be brought as the full extent of the horror is revealed. Lo appeared in court and is held in custody while police continued to uncover the details of his fatal rampage.
