Eleven people died and 20 more were injured on Saturday after a someone drove an SUV through a crowd at Vancouver's Lapu Lapu Day Block Party. The incident occurred around 8 p.m., after Black Eyed Peas' Apl.de.Ap had finished his headlining DJ set and organizers were beginning to take down equipment. The festival, celebrating Filipino-Canadian culture and named after the revolutionary Indigenous leader, drew a crowd of up to 100,000 at its peak time, with hundreds of attendees still present when the tragedy happened.
Some artists who performed at the festival have been sharing condolences on social media following the attack. Apl.de.Ap, who is Filipino-American himself, shared some resources on Instagram today along with a post reading:
Our hearts are broken for the victims, their families, and everyone affected by the tragedy at the Lapu-Lapu Festival. J-Rey and I had just finished performing and left the stage minutes before it happened. It's hard to describe the shock and the heaviness we feel. Thank you to everyone who's checked in -- your love means the world. Please keep the victims, their families, and the organizers in your prayers. They need all the love and strength right now. The one thing I have noticed -- from the audience to the messages sent around, is the sense of community that wraps its loving arms around us. We love you all.
Earlier that day the festival began with Filipino-Canadian singer Kaya Ko, who shared a statement on their own Instagram story: "I'm sending all of my love and prayers out to the families that are affected. My heart is broken. How can we come together as a community after this... So much to process. Send your prayers. This was not an accident this was a massacre."
According to local reports, festival crew members had lifted a barricade to carefully allow vehicles to pass when the SUV suddenly plowed through. BC police said a 30-year-old man has been arrested, whom they described as someone with "a significant history of interactions with police and health-care professionals related to mental health" in a press briefing. Though investigations are still ongoing, the attack is not believed to have been an act of terrorism.
