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On 26 April 2025, a 30-year-old man with a history of severe mental health issues drove an SUV through Vancouver’s Lapu-Lapu Day Block Party, a public celebration of Filipino heritage. Eleven people — between the ages of 5 and 65 — were killed, and at least 32 were injured. The perpetrator was known to police and under the care of mental health professionals at the time. They were later criticized for not responding to what the province’s Mental Health Review Board called “multiple red flags.” The rampage, which had a higher death toll than the 2018 Toronto van attack, led to calls for improved safety at public events and for better infrastructure in support of mental health.
Background
Lapu-Lapu Day is a public holiday in the Philippines that is observed annually on 27 April. It is named after Lapu-Lapu, a legendary 16th-century figure known for defeating Spanish forces led by Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in the Battle of Mactan. Lapu-Lapu is regarded as the first Filipino national hero.
In 2023, British Columbia officially proclaimed 27 April as Lapu-Lapu Day in the province. The cultural celebration was marked by the group Filipino BC that year with a parade down Joyce and Collingwood streets in East Vancouver. In 2024, the main event was a multi-block party in the Sunset on Fraser neighbourhood in South Vancouver. It featured cultural displays, live performances and a basketball tournament.
The second year of the annual festival turned into a bigger celebration with food trucks, artisan vendors, and a concert. Filipino American members of the group Black Eyed Peas headlined the event.
The Tragedy
Shortly after 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, 26 April 2025, Lapu-Lapu Day festivities were wrapping up. Festival participants were emptying the venue and loitering after a concert. A black Audi Q7 SUV came from the direction of nearby John Oliver Secondary School, drove past food trucks and sped up before driving down 43rd Avenue, slamming into pedestrians. According to witnesses, bodies flew into the air on impact. Dozens of injured people were on the ground. Footage posted online showed the front section of the SUV crumpled and the hood pushed up toward the windshield.
The driver, wearing a black hoodie, tried to run away. But several witnesses chased him down and held him against a fence. Mable Elmore, the BC MLA for Vancouver-Kensington, was on the scene while attending the festival and tried to keep everyone calm. The accused killer was arrested at the scene.
At a press conference a little more than 12 hours after the incident, the initial assessment by police ruled out terrorism as a motivation for the rampage. It was soon discovered that the perpetrator was under the care of a mental health team at the time of the attack. “This is the darkest day in our city's history,” then-acting Vancouver chief constable Steve Rai told reporters. The tragic event occurred two days before the 2025 federal election and made international headlines. Numerous local and international political figures offered their condolences and expressed their sympathies.
Victims
The attack resulted in mass casualties. Emergency responders brought the victims to multiple nearby hospitals. A Code Orange was declared to mobilize resources to handle the large number of patients. The following day, the Ministry of Health confirmed that 32 people in total were hospitalized, some with critical injures. Victims ranged in age from 5 to 65, reflecting the diverse and family-oriented nature of the festival.
Authorities reported that 11 people were killed: Jenifer Darbellay (50); Kira Salim (34); Maria Victoria Bjarnason (55); Glitza Daniela Samper (30) and her parents, Glitza María Caicedo (60) and Daniel Samper Toro (65); Jendhel May Sico (27); Richard Le (47), his wife Linh Hoang (30) and their daughter Katie Le (5); and Nerissa Pagkanlungan (46). Most of the victims were female.
Perpetrator
The SUV driver was a “lone suspect” known to police, with a history of mental health issues. Police identified him as Kai-Ji Adam Lo, a 30-year-old Vancouver resident. Police did not disclose specifics, such as his ethnicity or possible motives.
On 27 April 2025, BC Prosecution Service filed eight counts of second-degree murder against Lo. He had no prior criminal record, according to the provincial online database of court cases. He did not request bail and remained in police custody. While prosecutors anticipated further charges, they cited Lo's history of mental health issues and previous interactions with their officers — including one the day before the attack. On 2 May, following his first public appearance in court, Lo was ordered to undergo a psychiatric assessment within a month.
On 22 July, Lo was charged with three more counts of second-degree murder, bringing the total number of murder charges against him to 11. On 10 September, he was charged with 31 counts of attempted murder. He was also found mentally fit to stand trial. A publication ban imposed by the court to ensure a fair trial concealed the exact nature of Lo’s mental health issues.
On 15 October 2025, the Globe and Mail reported that the province’s Mental Health Review Board determined that Lo should have been hospitalized for his worsening mental health issues. The board said that Lo’s behaviour in the days before the attack “should have raised multiple red flags for members of his health team, who are trained to recognize them.”
Aftermath
Community Response
Days after the rampage, Vancouver residents set up a memorial site with flowers, wreaths and other objects of tribute near the site. Advocacy groups, such as Migrante Canada, called for a complete investigation and condemned using mental health issues as an excuse for government neglect. They also urged the Philippine embassy in Ottawa and the Philippine Consulate General in Vancouver to provide immediate and adequate assistance to their fellow Filipinos.
BAYAN Canada, an alliance of grassroots organizations, rallied the Filipino Canadian community to honour the victims, grieve with their families, and show support for the survivors through coordinated actions across the country. Dubbed Luksang Bayan (people’s grief), vigils were held spontaneously across the country. Efforts to support the victims were also shown through several fundraising activities. More than $2 million had been raised by 2 May.
Government Actions
On 30 April 2025, the BC government declared 2 May 2025 as a provincial day of remembrance and mourning in response to the tragic event. The public were invited to sign condolence books that were made available.
The incident prompted discussions about mental health and the stigma surrounding it. Vancouver mayor Ken Sim directed the city to look at event safety methods. He also asked the province for more resources, particularly security for mentally ill people who need mandatory care. Meanwhile, Premier David Eby launched an independent commission to look into public event safety in BC.
Legacy
The 2025 Vancouver rampage is similar to the 2018 Toronto van attack. It was the deadliest vehicle-ramming attack in Canadian history until the Lapu-Lapu attack.
After Lapu-Lapu Day, event organizers across Canada called for re-evaluating security measures and potentially implementing strategies to better protect crowds from vehicle-based attacks. On 5 September 2025, Filipino BC, the group that organized the festival, released a statement. It called the attack a “social disaster” and likened it to natural disasters, like fire or extreme weather events. It said the tragic Lapu-Lapu event requires a disaster-like response that addresses trauma and long-term needs. But instead, “the delivery of tangible support and resources has been slow and inconsistent.”
(See also Filipino Canadians.)
