A Colombian family who immigrated to Canada more than two decades ago is among the 11 people killed after a vehicle plowed into a crowd during the Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver on Saturday.
Alejandro Samper confirmed that his parents, Glitza María Caicedo and Daniel Samper, and his sister, Glitza Daniela Samper, died after being struck by an SUV at the Filipino cultural celebration. His sister was taken to Vancouver General Hospital and died early Sunday. His parents were pronounced dead at the scene.
“I’m just destroyed,” Samper told The Canadian Press on Tuesday. “My whole world’s taken away from me.”
The Samper family came to Canada in the early 2000s to escape violence in Colombia, seeking a safer life. “My parents sacrificed everything in Colombia – their careers, their lifestyle – to give us a better future here in Canada,” he said. “It just doesn’t make any sense. Canada is supposed to be a safe place.”
Samper said he had been preparing for work when his sister’s fiancé called to tell him about a “terrible accident.” He rushed to the scene only to learn the devastating news. He has not yet been permitted to see his family members’ bodies due to the ongoing investigation.
“They won’t let us see the bodies,” he said. “So I never even got to say goodbye to my parents.”
In the aftermath of the attack, Samper raised concerns over the lack of safety measures at the festival. He noted that other recent events in Vancouver, including a Vaisakhi celebration he attended the previous week, had protective barricades.
“Where’s the security? Where were the police when this happened?” he asked. “We need to get this message across—it’s unacceptable this was allowed to happen.”
Police have charged 30-year-old Adam Kai-Ji Lo with eight counts of second-degree murder, with more charges expected. Authorities say Lo was known to mental health services and had been under care by a Vancouver Coastal Health team. The B.C. Health Ministry reported that there were no recent signs of deterioration in his condition or indications of violence.
The incident has left at least 10 others in hospital, including a 22-month-old boy in serious condition. Roughly three dozen people were injured in total when the SUV drove through the crowded street.
Vigils are being held across Vancouver this evening to honour the victims, who police say ranged in age from five to 65. One of the vigils was attended by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Several eyewitnesses described the horrifying scene as panic spread through the crowd. “There’s a car that went just through the whole street and just hitting everyone,” said Abigail Andiso, a local resident, in an interview with the Associated Press.
The annual Lapu Lapu Day festival celebrates Filipino culture and draws large crowds to Vancouver’s streets each year.
Vancouver police say the decision to use vehicle barriers at public events depends on a risk assessment. Sgt. Steve Addison said only nine of the more than 3,200 events held in the city last year included heavy barricades, such as dump trucks.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support the Samper family.
