VEHICULAR MASS MURDER HATE CRIME
4 killed in London, Ont. collision likely targeted for being Muslim, police say
'Dark day:' Police say five pedestrians run down in London, Ont., targeted as Muslims
LONDON, Ont. — A family of five Muslims out for an evening early summer stroll were mowed down by a driver in an "act of mass murder," the mayor of London, Ont., said on Monday.
LONDON, Ont. — A family of five Muslims out for an evening early summer stroll were mowed down by a driver in an "act of mass murder," the mayor of London, Ont., said on Monday.
© Provided by The Canadian Press
The horrific incident on Sunday evening left four of them dead and a boy with serious injuries, police said.
"Words fail on a day as dark as this but words matter," Mayor Ed Holder said. "This was an act of mass murder perpetrated against Muslims, against Londoners, and rooted in unspeakable hatred."
A 20-year-old city man was arrested in the parking lot of a mall seven kilometres away. He now faces four counts of first-degree murder and one of attempted murder, police said.
Police Chief Steve Williams said relatives had asked no names be released but identified the four victims as a 74-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman and a 15-year-old girl. A nine-year-old boy was in hospital in serious condition.
"We believe that this was an intentional act and that the victims of this horrific incident were targeted … because of their Islamic faith," Williams said. "All of the victims in this matter are members of the same family."
Det. Supt. Paul Waight said the family was waiting to cross the road at an intersection on a dry clear day in the city's northwest end when a black pickup mounted the curb, struck them, then sped off.
Police identified the accused as Nathaniel Veltman.
One woman who witnessed the aftermath of the deadly crash said she couldn't stop thinking about the victims. Paige Martin said she was stopped at a red light around 8:30 p.m. when the large, pickup flew past her. She said her car shook from the force.
“I was shaken up, thinking it was an erratic driver,” Martin said.
Minutes later, she came upon a gruesome scene at an intersection near her home: First responders in full sprint, a police officer performing chest compressions on one person and three others down on the ground.
A few dozen people were on the sidewalk, and several drivers got out of their cars to help.
“I can’t get the sound of the screams out of my head,” Martin said.
From her apartment, Martin said she could see the scene, watching an official drape a sheet over a body at about midnight.
Police said one woman died at the scene. The second woman, the man and the teen died in hospital. The child was expected to survive. Autopsies were scheduled for Tuesday.
Zahid Khan, a family friend, said the three generations of victims comprised the grandmother, father, mother and teenage daughter. The family had immigrated from Pakistan 14 years ago and were dedicated, decent and generous members of the London Muslim Mosque, he said.
“They were just out for their walk that they would go out for everyday,” Khan said through tears near the site of the crash. “I just wanted to see.”
Qazi Khalil said he saw the family last Thursday when they were out for their nightly walk. The families lived close to each other and would get together on holidays, he said.
“This has totally destroyed me from the inside,” Khalil said. “I can’t really come to the terms they were no longer here.”
The National Council of Canadian Muslims said it was beyond horrified, saying Muslims in Canada have become all too familiar with the violence of Islamophobia.
"This is a terrorist attack on Canadian soil, and should be treated as such,” said council head Mustafa Farooq. "We call on the government to prosecute the attacker to the fullest extent of the law, including considering terrorist charges."
Williams acknowledged the tragedy might stoke fear and anxiety, especially among Muslims or others targeted by hate.
"There is no tolerance in this community for individuals who, motivated by hate, target others with violence," Williams said.
About a dozen police officers searched the crash scene on Monday as they combed the area looking for evidence.
Blue markers on the ground dotted the intersection and officers were performing line searches for several hundred metres in the field next to the sidewalk.
Police were asking anyone with possible information about the incident to contact them.
Holder said flags would be lowered for three days.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2021.
Liam Casey, The Canadian Press
The horrific incident on Sunday evening left four of them dead and a boy with serious injuries, police said.
"Words fail on a day as dark as this but words matter," Mayor Ed Holder said. "This was an act of mass murder perpetrated against Muslims, against Londoners, and rooted in unspeakable hatred."
A 20-year-old city man was arrested in the parking lot of a mall seven kilometres away. He now faces four counts of first-degree murder and one of attempted murder, police said.
Police Chief Steve Williams said relatives had asked no names be released but identified the four victims as a 74-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man, a 44-year-old woman and a 15-year-old girl. A nine-year-old boy was in hospital in serious condition.
"We believe that this was an intentional act and that the victims of this horrific incident were targeted … because of their Islamic faith," Williams said. "All of the victims in this matter are members of the same family."
Det. Supt. Paul Waight said the family was waiting to cross the road at an intersection on a dry clear day in the city's northwest end when a black pickup mounted the curb, struck them, then sped off.
Police identified the accused as Nathaniel Veltman.
One woman who witnessed the aftermath of the deadly crash said she couldn't stop thinking about the victims. Paige Martin said she was stopped at a red light around 8:30 p.m. when the large, pickup flew past her. She said her car shook from the force.
“I was shaken up, thinking it was an erratic driver,” Martin said.
Minutes later, she came upon a gruesome scene at an intersection near her home: First responders in full sprint, a police officer performing chest compressions on one person and three others down on the ground.
A few dozen people were on the sidewalk, and several drivers got out of their cars to help.
“I can’t get the sound of the screams out of my head,” Martin said.
From her apartment, Martin said she could see the scene, watching an official drape a sheet over a body at about midnight.
Police said one woman died at the scene. The second woman, the man and the teen died in hospital. The child was expected to survive. Autopsies were scheduled for Tuesday.
Zahid Khan, a family friend, said the three generations of victims comprised the grandmother, father, mother and teenage daughter. The family had immigrated from Pakistan 14 years ago and were dedicated, decent and generous members of the London Muslim Mosque, he said.
“They were just out for their walk that they would go out for everyday,” Khan said through tears near the site of the crash. “I just wanted to see.”
Qazi Khalil said he saw the family last Thursday when they were out for their nightly walk. The families lived close to each other and would get together on holidays, he said.
“This has totally destroyed me from the inside,” Khalil said. “I can’t really come to the terms they were no longer here.”
The National Council of Canadian Muslims said it was beyond horrified, saying Muslims in Canada have become all too familiar with the violence of Islamophobia.
"This is a terrorist attack on Canadian soil, and should be treated as such,” said council head Mustafa Farooq. "We call on the government to prosecute the attacker to the fullest extent of the law, including considering terrorist charges."
Williams acknowledged the tragedy might stoke fear and anxiety, especially among Muslims or others targeted by hate.
"There is no tolerance in this community for individuals who, motivated by hate, target others with violence," Williams said.
About a dozen police officers searched the crash scene on Monday as they combed the area looking for evidence.
Blue markers on the ground dotted the intersection and officers were performing line searches for several hundred metres in the field next to the sidewalk.
Police were asking anyone with possible information about the incident to contact them.
Holder said flags would be lowered for three days.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 7, 2021.
Liam Casey, The Canadian Press
4 killed in London, Ont. collision likely targeted for being Muslim, police say
Nick Westoll and Jacquelyn LeBel
GLOBAL NEWS JUNE 7,2021
"There is no tolerance in this community for individuals who, motivated by hate, target others with violence."
It was Sunday evening at around 8:40 p.m. when Det. Supt. Paul Waight said emergency crews were called to the intersection of Hyde Park and South Carriage roads, south of Gainsborough Road. He said it's alleged the driver of a black pick-up truck drove south on Hyde Park Road, mounted the sidewalk and struck the family members.
Waight said the vehicle took off southbound "at a high rate of speed." Approximately five minutes later, he said the driver stopped the vehicle at Cherryhill Village Mall at Cherryhill Boulevard and Oxford Street West, which is roughly a six-kilometre drive away from the collision scene. The accused was subsequently arrested by police.
"There is evidence that this was a planned, premeditated act motivated by hate. It is believed that these victims were targeted because they were Muslim," Waight said.
"There is no known previous connection between the suspect and the victims."
Read more: A look at Islamophobia in Canada, 3 years after the Quebec mosque shooting
Officers said a 74-year-old woman died at the scene of the collision. A 44-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl were rushed to hospital by paramedics, but they later died of their injuries.
A nine-year-old boy related to the deceased was also taken to hospital where he is being treated for serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the vehicle, described by police as a 20-year-man, was subsequently arrested near the
The accused in the case, 20-year-old London resident Nathaniel Veltman, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and a count of attempted murder. He appeared through an audio link in a London court on Monday. He was remanded into custody and scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday. The charges against Veltman haven't been proven in court.
Read more: Islamophobia in Canada isn’t new. Experts say it’s time we face the problem
Nawaz Tahir, a lawyer and a leader in London's Muslim community, said the minds of many community members are "numb with pain" after the deaths.
"A Muslim family out for a walk on a beautiful summer evening was run down by a car driven by a man who appears to have been filled with hate. One child remains in hospital and four people will never return home again," he told reporters.
"The horror that has visited this family, the Canadian Muslim community, and Canada at large last night is unfathomable. These were innocent human beings who were killed simply because they're Muslim."
Tahir went on to describe how the Muslim community has a "long history" with London.
"This is our home and it is as much a part of us as we are a part of it. The individual that did this doesn't understand that," he said.
"We will stand strong against hate. We will stand strong against Islamophobia. We will respond to those trying to inflict terror on our community with love. We will survive this test through faith, through love, through our unshakable belief in God and our quest for justice."
London Mayor Ed Holder called the act one of "mass murder," saying many hearts are "broken" after Sunday's incident.
"This was an act of mass murder, perpetrated against Muslims, against Londoners, and rooted in unspeakable hatred. The magnitude of such hatred can make one question who we are as a city and who we are as Londoners," he told reporters.
"It’s up to us – all of us – to answer that question through not only our words, but our actions. We can say, 'This isn’t who we are,' and I know that to be true. Words, though, are not enough. We must demonstrate, behave, and act on those words."
This is a developing story that will be updated throughout the afternoon.
© Global News London police block off a large scene after five pedestrians were struck on Sunday.
Four members of a London, Ont., family who were struck and killed by a vehicle in the city's northwest Sunday evening are believed to have been targeted because they were Muslim, the area's police chief says.
"We believe this was an intentional act and that the victims of this horrific incident were targeted," Chief Steve Williams told reporters during a news conference Monday afternoon.
"We believe the victims were targeted because of their Islamic faith."
Read more: 4 pedestrians, including teen, dead after collision in northwest London, Ont.: police
Four members of a London, Ont., family who were struck and killed by a vehicle in the city's northwest Sunday evening are believed to have been targeted because they were Muslim, the area's police chief says.
"We believe this was an intentional act and that the victims of this horrific incident were targeted," Chief Steve Williams told reporters during a news conference Monday afternoon.
"We believe the victims were targeted because of their Islamic faith."
Read more: 4 pedestrians, including teen, dead after collision in northwest London, Ont.: police
Williams called Sunday's collision a "devastating loss" for the community.
"We understand that this event may cause fear and anxiety in the community and in particular the Muslim community and any community targeted by hate. I want to reassure all Londoners that all of us on the call today and many others stand with you and support you," he said.
Police say London vehicle attack victims ‘targeted because of their Islamic faith’
"We understand that this event may cause fear and anxiety in the community and in particular the Muslim community and any community targeted by hate. I want to reassure all Londoners that all of us on the call today and many others stand with you and support you," he said.
Police say London vehicle attack victims ‘targeted because of their Islamic faith’
"There is no tolerance in this community for individuals who, motivated by hate, target others with violence."
It was Sunday evening at around 8:40 p.m. when Det. Supt. Paul Waight said emergency crews were called to the intersection of Hyde Park and South Carriage roads, south of Gainsborough Road. He said it's alleged the driver of a black pick-up truck drove south on Hyde Park Road, mounted the sidewalk and struck the family members.
Waight said the vehicle took off southbound "at a high rate of speed." Approximately five minutes later, he said the driver stopped the vehicle at Cherryhill Village Mall at Cherryhill Boulevard and Oxford Street West, which is roughly a six-kilometre drive away from the collision scene. The accused was subsequently arrested by police.
"There is evidence that this was a planned, premeditated act motivated by hate. It is believed that these victims were targeted because they were Muslim," Waight said.
"There is no known previous connection between the suspect and the victims."
Read more: A look at Islamophobia in Canada, 3 years after the Quebec mosque shooting
Officers said a 74-year-old woman died at the scene of the collision. A 44-year-old woman, a 46-year-old man and a 15-year-old girl were rushed to hospital by paramedics, but they later died of their injuries.
A nine-year-old boy related to the deceased was also taken to hospital where he is being treated for serious, but non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the vehicle, described by police as a 20-year-man, was subsequently arrested near the
The accused in the case, 20-year-old London resident Nathaniel Veltman, was charged with four counts of first-degree murder and a count of attempted murder. He appeared through an audio link in a London court on Monday. He was remanded into custody and scheduled to appear in court again on Thursday. The charges against Veltman haven't been proven in court.
Read more: Islamophobia in Canada isn’t new. Experts say it’s time we face the problem
Nawaz Tahir, a lawyer and a leader in London's Muslim community, said the minds of many community members are "numb with pain" after the deaths.
"A Muslim family out for a walk on a beautiful summer evening was run down by a car driven by a man who appears to have been filled with hate. One child remains in hospital and four people will never return home again," he told reporters.
"The horror that has visited this family, the Canadian Muslim community, and Canada at large last night is unfathomable. These were innocent human beings who were killed simply because they're Muslim."
Tahir went on to describe how the Muslim community has a "long history" with London.
"This is our home and it is as much a part of us as we are a part of it. The individual that did this doesn't understand that," he said.
"We will stand strong against hate. We will stand strong against Islamophobia. We will respond to those trying to inflict terror on our community with love. We will survive this test through faith, through love, through our unshakable belief in God and our quest for justice."
London Mayor Ed Holder called the act one of "mass murder," saying many hearts are "broken" after Sunday's incident.
"This was an act of mass murder, perpetrated against Muslims, against Londoners, and rooted in unspeakable hatred. The magnitude of such hatred can make one question who we are as a city and who we are as Londoners," he told reporters.
"It’s up to us – all of us – to answer that question through not only our words, but our actions. We can say, 'This isn’t who we are,' and I know that to be true. Words, though, are not enough. We must demonstrate, behave, and act on those words."
This is a developing story that will be updated throughout the afternoon.
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