Police had previous contact with Vancouver vehicle attack suspect | World News

Police had contact with a man suspected of being behind a vehicle attack in Vancouver that killed 11 people on the day before the ramming.

A man drove an SUV through a crowd during a Filipino cultural festival in the Canadian city on Saturday.

Of the 11 killed, nine were female and two were male, with ages ranging from five to 65, according to Vancouver Police Department spokesperson Steve Addison.

He said 32 people were injured – seven remain in critical condition and three were in a serious condition on Monday.

Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, was charged with eight counts of second-degree murder on Sunday, the British Columbia Prosecution Service said. More charges were possible, it added.

Lo, a resident of Vancouver, appeared in court on Sunday and remains in custody. He has not entered a plea.

Investigators have ruled out terrorism as a motive. They said Lo had a history of mental health issues.

Interim police chief Steve Rai said there was no indication of a motive, but the suspect has “a significant history of interactions with police and health care professionals related to mental health”.

He described the attack as “the darkest day in our city’s history”.

Lo had contact with the police the day before the vehicle attack in a neighbouring jurisdiction, Mr Addison said.

“That contact was not criminal in nature and it did not rise to the level where a mental health intervention was required,” he added.

The attack happened at the Lapu Lapu Day Block Party, which is named after a national hero of the Philippines.

Police said “a few thousand” people were in attendance.

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The incident happened just before Canada’s election, with voters heading to the polls to elect a new prime minister on Monday.