By DAVE LLAVANES JR.
NEW YORK — Chris Garcia could not believe what had happened after he left the Lapu Lapu Festival in Vancouver, Canada.
The Filipino told GMA Integrated News that he had been invited to the festival by a friend who had a booth on 41st Street. The event was already nearing its end when the tragedy occurred—a car rammed into the crowds at the event, killing at least 11 and injuring several more people.
According to Chris, the SUV rammed into people walking along 41st Street, where several Filipino food trucks were parked.
He said he was puzzled as to how the SUV managed to enter the street, given that barricades had been set up to block vehicles.
"I passed by the area where the incident happened. I even parked nearby. At that time, there were still barricades. The event was supposed to end at 8 p.m. I'm not sure if the barricades were taken down, because when I passed by earlier, every corner from 41st Street up to around 46th Street had barricades—you couldn’t get in. That’s why I’m wondering how the SUV managed to enter. I assume the barricades were removed after 8 p.m. since the event officially ended at that time," he said.
Chris said he was shocked when he found out about the incident through social media."When I got home, I was shocked when I opened Facebook—the videos were already everywhere, posted just a minute or two after it happened," he said.
Witnesses say the SUV only stopped after it sustained heavy damage, allowing bystanders to apprehend the driver.
"When you saw the kid’s face, he looked dazed—like he didn’t even understand what was happening. He even apologized. But of course, what can an apology do? You don’t know what the hidden agenda was—whether it was a hate crime or something else. We’ll probably find out soon. But it was so tragic—everyone was in shock. No one expected something like that to happen, especially at a Filipino event," Chris said.
Jen Idaba-Castaneto, who served as a volunteer security officer during the event, rushed to the scene.
"When I heard people screaming, I ran to see what happened, and I saw lifeless bodies on the street. The people I saw first were dead on the spot. Many others were injured or died," she said.
She is now experiencing panic attacks because of the traumatic scene she witnessed.
"I’m okay physically, but honestly, I’m shaken up. I’m in shock and have been experiencing panic attacks after witnessing everything that happened. It was such a terrifying and heartbreaking scene—something I never imagined I would see.” Castaneto told GMA Integrated News
Eleven people have been reported dead, while many others remain hospitalized.
The Philippine Consulate in Vancouver has yet to release a statement on how many Filipinos were affected by the tragic incident, while Vancouver Police continue their investigation to establish the motive behind the attack.
Suspect in custody
The Vancouver Police have identified the suspect as a 30-year-old male, who is now in custody.
Vancouver Interim Police Chief Steven Rai said the suspect has had many encounters with police due to his mental health condition. He also said that the suspect’s family is cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
Rai said there is no indication the suspect's actions were related to terrorism.
"While I'm not prepared to speak about the potential motive, I can now say with confidence that the evidence in this case does not lead us to believe this was an act of terrorism. I can also tell you that the person we have in custody does have a significant history of interactions with police and healthcare professionals related to mental health," Chief Rai told reporters during a press briefing at the Vancouver Police Department. — BM/AOL, GMA Integrated News
