9 Dead in Van Incident in Toronto
 

A white rental van ploughed into pedestrians in the North York area of Toronto. It is being reported that 9 people are dead and 16 injured.

The driver has been arrested.

9 dead, 16 injured after white van strikes pedestrians in North York | CBC News

We have noticed recently concrete barriers (Jersey Barriers) around the Rogers Centre stadium/CN Tower/Aquarium/Air Canada Centre/Maple Leaf Square and speculated that the powers that be must have had some sort of tip off. Perhaps they were just being prudent as the tourist season approaches. :unsure:

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Those poor people and their families :(

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Looks like the suspect was hoping for a suicide by cop ending. Not in Canada you won't.

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Not unless your name is Sammy yatim

Canada not increasing the threat level ? Why not, even if it is something other than a terror threat why the F not, it makes sense to be wrong with no further casualties and deaths dosnt it !!! FFS Canada stop being so ****ing soft.!!

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If it had been in the US the cop would have killed him as soon as he raised the gun.

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Based on the cops reaction in the video, I suppose the cop could tell it wasn't a gun? I cannot tell what the individual was holding, but seems if it were a gun the cop would have taken some cover.

Those folks walking down the street seem awfully calm as well.

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A bit over cautious of the cops. Given what happened, he could have fired on a cop and added another fatality. RIP Toronto 9. :(

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CBS News sources identified the suspect as Alek Minassian

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Tragic, but not a great surprise. Canada has been comparatively fortunate to date. It was not a case of if, but when...takes incidents like this to make our politicians etc, wake up and smell the coffee. What a terrible waste, needless, heartfelt sympathies to all concerned. As for the cop involved can only assume, for whatever reason he did not see perpetrator as an immediate threat on facing him down. I always have believed that better to be judged by twelve than carried by six. If in doubt, take him out. Worked out well....this time.

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Scum

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It's a one-off incident so threat level would not change. There's a lot happens when a threat level gets upped in the way of increased security, It's not just a trivial statement or action.

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Supposing for a moment that the politicians in Canada have been unaware of the ability of radical groups to corrupt feeble minded western citizens and cause them to commit atrocities, now that they're aware, what can they do about it? What, that is, that they weren't already trying to do?

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That's right, I thought the same thing. When the officer reaches into the cruiser what is he doing? There's a little blackout and when the video resumes after that there is a crackling noise that makes me wonder if he deployed a taser and then it's handcuff time.

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CBC News has confirmed that the man arrested after a rental van rammed a number of pedestrians near a busy intersection in Toronto is Alek Minassian, 25, of Richmond Hill. According to his LinkedIn page he's a student as Seneca College.

It's tragic, whatever the reason behind it. Those poor people and their families. :cry_smile:

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There's an Alex Minassian of Richmond Hill who says it's not him and asks the press to stop bugging his family.

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Just been announced that a 10th person has died.

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We have a big presence in my neighbourhood although that could also be concern about Leafs fans rioting should Boston knock them out.

Number of deaths now 10 confirmed.

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I saw that on his page, I left him alone, lot left a comment saying he should close his page. The Alex is wrong, the murdering scum sucking ass bag is an Alek.

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The surname sounds Armenian, which would mean he isn't Muslim. If he does turn out to be an Armenian Muslim that would be highly, highly, highly unusual particularly in the context of that country's geopolitical situation. Religious polarisation in the Caucasus based on ethnic/national factors is high. Pogroms not uncommon, even in recent times.

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They've been doing this for a couple of years now precautionarily since the attacks in London and Paris for Baseball games.

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Looks like a nutter lone wolf.

If he has a political agenda he will be a terrorist.

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I noticed Arabic writing on some of the windows in photos.

I don't know Toronto very well, does that neighbourhood have a lot of migrants from Islamic areas like Pakistan, the Middle East, etc?

Before we brush this aside as another "lone nut" after another one of the "fastest police investigations in history," consider what I wrote earlier about Christian-Muslim pogroms in the part of the world the killer apparently hails from, or at least has lineage from. That sort of baggage doesn't just get automatically dropped behind at a Canadian (or German) border because someone's family migrated. Canadians have certainly already learned that lesson.

Consider why they might have migrated . . .

Inter-ethnic strife being imported to Western countries, is something officials have been worrying about for a while.

So let's not wave this off just yet as a lone nut. It may well be! But certainly a police investigation like this can't be concluded in a matter of a few hours - no matter how politically beneficial that might be to some figures.

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Where does he hail from or at least has lineage from and how did that influence his act?

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I believe he's actually turning off the sirens from the car and attempting to talk to the guy.

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Yes, could be. There's a new video from above which fills in the gaps a bit and he does appear to surrender to the officer.

Remarkable restraint from the officer.

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Yep, in the video online today it shows it. Last night I saw one that was shot from above that shows the back and forth dance, the officer holstering his weapon and approaching with his baton as the suspect goes to the sidewalk.

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His actions have US Police scratching their heads..

Toronto van attack: How is the suspect not dead? - BBC News

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Yeah....its only in the trigger happy US that the supspect would have been shot dead.... this situation would have been handled very similar to this in the UK too.

The Sammy Yatim case was a one off I think, but it tarnished the image of the police in Canada.

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I think the only reason the suspect isn't dead/ wasn't shot is because the officer was confident he wasn't armed.

Still commendable how he handled it.

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I remember watching this video a few years ago and feeling quite proud that this guy wasn't shot. Talk about a team effort!

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In Regina he might have taken 2 in the chest.

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Not if he was Brazilian.

Cops in the US are facing a greater danger of being shot and are generally doing so for very little reward. It doesn't take anything away from this courageous and successful action to say that the comparison is unfair nor that American cops do also try to take terror suspects alive.

The "only in America" assertion is also unfair in that Russian, Belgian and South African cops don't hesitate to shoot either.

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You win the BE "Jumping to Conclusions" award.

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Agreed....I would hope that if he had ANY doubt that what was pointed at him was a gun, he would have shot first. Better to be judged by twelve, the subject of an enquiry or trial, than carried by six.

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100%. Not to mention that there seem to be members of the public nonchalantly walking in the background, so always the risk of them being hit!

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Yeah I agree, everyone seems to be saying how wonderful it was that the cop acted with restraint, more like stupidity. He comes to a stop directly next to the guy, if he had had a gun, that cop would have been dead before he stepped foot out of the car. SOP is to come to a barricade position at a safe distance and aim over the hood of the car, he didn't even attempt to do that.

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Really? I just challenged the "lone nut" conclusion by saying it was too early to tell.

I would think the press should win the "Jumping to Conclusions" award for saying, just hours after, "lone nut, no terror here" which has already been walked back to "motive unclear." As I predicted.

Maybe it will turn out to be a lone nut. But these things don't get cracked in two or three hours and any "conclusion" coming out in the immediate aftermath - whatever conclusion that is - needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

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Walked back? What press have you been reading? :blink:
I've not read or heard anything other than motive unclear. The only reference to "terror" I've heard/seen has been no known links (as with numerous others) along with the the "not a matter for National security" which is a new expression but seems clear enough.

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Really? Your first comment was that you saw Arabic writing on one photo and then rambled on about the possible ethinc mix and links to terror. You didn't ruminate in the effect of the LCBO, or the bank, or any of the other stores. Just those darned Arabs.

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It now seems that he killed a bunch of people because he was pissed that he couldn't get laid. Not being in America, he couldn't easily machine gun them so, aping the television, he ran them down with a van.

Banality of evil, innit.