Alejandro Samper was getting ready for work on Saturday night when he received a call from his sister’s fiancé about a “terrible accident,” and he rushed to the scene of the Lapu Lapu Day festival in Vancouver.
He soon learned that his sister Glitza Daniela Samper, his mother Glitza Maria Caicedo and his father Daniel Samper had been hit by an SUV that barrelled through the crowd at the Filipino cultural event.
A 30-year-old man, Kai-Ji Adam Lo, faces eight counts of second-degree murder after 11 people were killed and dozens more were hurt at the Filipino community’s Lapu-Lapu Day festival Saturday night.
He said his sister was brought to Vancouver General Hospital, where she died early Sunday, and both his parents had also died.
Samper says he is yet to be allowed to see the bodies of his family members.
“I’m just destroyed,” Samper said Tuesday. “My whole world’s taken away from me.”
Samper said the family came to Canada in the early 2000s, in part to escape violence in Colombia, and he’s now trying to understand what happened and why.
“My parents sacrificed everything in Colombia, their careers, their lifestyle, everything 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’s been left with many questions about what happened and wonders why the festival didn’t have barricades like other events, noting that he was at a Vaisakhi event the previous week where protective measures were taken.
He said his parents were the “nicest people” who helped many others, and the family was “very, very close.”
“They won’t let us see the bodies because everything’s under investigation,” he said. “So, I never even got to say goodbye to my parents.”
He said he’s been dealing with a “bombardment” of phone calls about the tragedy, and believes it’s important to speak out because “we need to get this message across, like, it’s unacceptable this was allowed to happen.”
Four people have been identified as among those who were killed at a Filipino festival in South Vancouver over the weekend. As Jon Hernandez reports, a total of 11 people have died after a vehicle rammed the crowd at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival.
“Where’s the security? Where were the police when this happened? Also, like the social system, I heard this person that killed everyone, you know, had a very tragic life.”
Samper said he’s worried about those who survived the tragedy, too.
“There were many victims in this tragedy, and these victims, if they’re not supported correctly, in 10 years from now … they’ll still be angry, resentful,” he said.
“I am lucky to have a big family and have a lot of support. Had I not had any of that, I would be very angry, very resentful. But right now I’m being flooded with lots of love.”
Independent commission
British Columbia Premier David Eby says his government will launch an independent commission into the alleged attack and a public inquiry if the criminal case doesn’t provide answers the public is looking for.
Eby says the commission will have a “quick turnaround” to get full answers for organizers of events and festivals in the province by June.
Richard Le, 47, his wife Linh Hoang, 30, and their daughter Katie Le, 5, were among those who were killed at the Lapu-Lapu Day festival, according to Richard’s brother Toan Le. Toan said Richard had a 16-year-old son, Andy, who had stayed at home that day. Hoang was Andy’s stepmom, Toan said, and had raised him like he was her own.
He says he wants the public to be able to “gather and celebrate” over the summer without feeling unsafe.
The premier says if it weren’t for the police investigation and upcoming criminal trial, his government would already be calling a public inquiry.
David Eby says people should be able to gather and celebrate over the summer without feeling unsafe. He announced Tuesday that his government will launch an independent commission into the tragedy at a Filipino festival in Vancouver in which a car rammed into the crowd, killing 11 people and injuring dozens pf others. Speaking to reporters Monday, he also weighed in on the federal election result.
Eby says the number one priority is ensuring justice for the Filipino community, ensuring that the accused man is “held and tried and convicted for these murders.”
The premier says the government is committed to getting all of the answers about how this could have happened.
Police have said more charges are likely against the suspect as their investigation continues.
A 30-year-old Vancouver man has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder in the Lapu-Lapu Filipino festival tragedy on Saturday, and police say more charges are likely. Police spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison confirmed on Monday that the accused, Kai-Ji Adam Lo, had ‘contact’ with police that ‘was not criminal in nature’ in a neighbouring jurisdiction the day before the alleged attack at the festival.
In a Tuesday update, Vancouver police spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison said that a 22-month-old boy was among those who were seriously injured in the alleged attack.
Seven people remain in critical condition, and three in serious condition, as a result of the crash.
Addison also defended the police’s preparation ahead of the Lapu-Lapu Day event, and said that they had deployed heavy vehicle barriers at only nine of the city’s 3,200 events in 2024.
“We have said very clearly that while we believe that the planning for this particular event was sound and that everything was done appropriately, we’re certainly open to reviews and to considering what changes may need to be made in the future.”
