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On April 23, 2018, a rented [[Chevrolet Express]] van was driven into pedestrians along [[Yonge Street]] in the [[North York City Centre]] business district of [[Toronto]], killing 10 and wounding 15 others.<ref name=Globe0423>{{cite news |last1=Hayes |first1=Molly |last2=Friesen |first2=Joe |last3=Moore |first3=Oliver |date=April 23, 2018 |title=Ten people dead, 15 injured after van hits pedestrians in north Toronto |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/toronto/article-injuries-reported-after-van-hits-people-in-north-toronto/ |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref> The suspect, a 25-year-old male identified as Alek Minassian, was arrested 26 minutes later.<ref name=:0>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/pedestrians-struck-white-van-1.4631564|title=9 dead, 16 injured after van strikes pedestrians in North York|work=[[CBC News]]|date=April 23, 2018|accessdate=April 23, 2018}}</ref> It is the deadliest [[vehicle-ramming attack]] in Canadian history.<ref name=nyt>{{cite web|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/23/world/toronto-van.html | title = Toronto Van Plows Along Sidewalk, Killing 9 in 'Pure Carnage' | first1 = Ian | last1=Austen | first2 = Liam | last2= Stack | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = April 23, 2018 | accessdate = April 23, 2018}}</ref>
On April 23, 2018, a rented [[moving van]] was driven into pedestrians along [[Yonge Street]] in the [[North York City Centre]] business district of [[Toronto]], killing 10 and wounding 15 others.<ref name=Globe0423>{{cite news |last1=Hayes |first1=Molly |last2=Friesen |first2=Joe |last3=Moore |first3=Oliver |date=April 23, 2018 |title=Ten people dead, 15 injured after van hits pedestrians in north Toronto |url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/toronto/article-injuries-reported-after-van-hits-people-in-north-toronto/ |newspaper=The Globe and Mail |location=Toronto |access-date=April 23, 2018}}</ref> The suspect, a 25-year-old male identified as [[Armenian]]-Canadian Alek Minassian, was arrested 26 minutes later.<ref name=:0>{{cite news|url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/pedestrians-struck-white-van-1.4631564|title=9 dead, 16 injured after van strikes pedestrians in North York|work=[[CBC News]]|date=April 23, 2018|accessdate=April 23, 2018}}</ref> It is the deadliest [[vehicle-ramming attack]] in Canadian history.<ref name=nyt>{{cite web|url = https://www.nytimes.com/2018/04/23/world/toronto-van.html | title = Toronto Van Plows Along Sidewalk, Killing 9 in 'Pure Carnage' | first1 = Ian | last1=Austen | first2 = Liam | last2= Stack | work = [[The New York Times]] | date = April 23, 2018 | accessdate = April 23, 2018}}</ref>


==Incident==
==Incident==

Revision as of 14:09, 24 April 2018

"Toronto attack" redirects here. For the hockey team, see Toronto Attack.

Toronto van attack
Attack location is located in Toronto
Attack location
Attack location
Attack location (Toronto)
Attack location is located in Canada
Attack location
Attack location
Attack location (Canada)
DateApril 23, 2018 (2018-04-23)
Time1:30 pm EDT
LocationNorth York City Centre, North York, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TypeVehicle-ramming attack
Deaths10
Non-fatal injuries15
SuspectsAlek Minassian[1]
Map
About OpenStreetMaps
Maps: terms of use
1km
0.6miles
Attack began
Attack began
Van stopped
Van stopped

On April 23, 2018, a rented moving van was driven into pedestrians along Yonge Street in the North York City Centre business district of Toronto, killing 10 and wounding 15 others.[2] The suspect, a 25-year-old male identified as Armenian-Canadian Alek Minassian, was arrested 26 minutes later.[3] It is the deadliest vehicle-ramming attack in Canadian history.[4]

Incident

The incident started around 1:30 pm EDT.[3][5] The van, rented from Ryder, was driven against the flow of traffic southbound on Yonge Street from Finch Avenue towards Sheppard Avenue,[6] mounting onto the sidewalk, striking multiple pedestrians.[5][7] Witnesses described impacts tossing victims in the air, while some were dragged across the street.[8]

A policeman confronted the suspected driver of the damaged van, which was stopped about 2.3 kilometres (1.4 mi) south of where the attack began, on the north sidewalk on Poyntz Avenue, just west of Yonge Street and two blocks south of Sheppard Avenue, with the suspected driver standing near the opened driver-side door.[6][9] During the confrontation, the suspect was arrested at 1:52 pm, after he repeatedly gestured his hand from his back pocket toward the police officer and pointed a cell phone as if it were a pistol.[9][2][10] It appears that the man tried provoking the officer into killing him, yelling "shoot me in the head!" when the officer warned him he may be shot.[11][12]

Paramedics were dispatched immediately to the site and Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre was activated as an emergency centre. Nine persons were confirmed to have died at the scene and 16 were injured. At 8:15 pm the Toronto Police Service announced that a tenth person had died. Sunnybrook treated ten victims. The hospital reported that two persons arrived without vital signs and were pronounced dead on arrival, five were in critical condition, two serious and one in fair condition.[13]

Perpetrator

Police identified the perpetrator as Alek Minassian, 25, of Richmond Hill (a suburb north of Toronto)[14] who reportedly had no prior criminal history.[15] According to a LinkedIn profile with Minassian's name and picture, he was a student at Seneca College from 2011.[3][16] He worked as a software and mobile app developer.[17] Minassian's classmates at Thornlea High School described him as "not overly social" and "absolutely harmless".[18][19] Police vehicles were seen at the suspect's residence.[20] Further investigation by The Globe and Mail revealed that Minnassian suffered from Asperger syndrome.[21]

Aftermath

The Toronto Transit Commission closed North York Centre subway station, as well as bus services in the area.[9] Toronto police announced that the incident area along Yonge Street would be cordoned-off for several days.[22][23][8]

Security was heightened around Air Canada Centre as fans gathered at Maple Leaf Square to watch a hockey game.[24][25] A moment of silence was observed during the game to honour the victims.[26] The attack occurred on the same day as the G7 foreign and security ministers meeting in Downtown Toronto.[27]

Reactions

Many domestic and international leaders used Twitter to express their support and condolences, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau,[28] Opposition Leader Andrew Scheer,[28] Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne,[7] and representatives of the United States and United Kingdom.[29][30] Toronto Mayor John Tory added that he had "offered any and all assistance that the city can provide to police to help this investigation".

Lighting at the CN Tower and the 3D Toronto sign at Nathan Phillips Square were colourless and dimmed for the evening. Flags were placed at half-mast at most government locations in Toronto and surrounding municipalities.[31]

An impromptu memorial just north of the location of the rampage on Yonge Street was set up by local residents for people to place flowers and express their grief in writing.[32] A crowd-funding campaign was set up to raise money for the expenses of the victim's families.[33] Residents in the area came forward with offers of assistance to those in need.[33]

References

  1. ^ Elliott, Josh K.; Dehaas, Josh (April 23, 2018). "9 dead, 16 injured after van strikes pedestrians in Toronto, sources say suspect is Alek Minassian". CTV News. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  2. ^ a b Hayes, Molly; Friesen, Joe; Moore, Oliver (April 23, 2018). "Ten people dead, 15 injured after van hits pedestrians in north Toronto". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  3. ^ a b c "9 dead, 16 injured after van strikes pedestrians in North York". CBC News. April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  4. ^ Austen, Ian; Stack, Liam (April 23, 2018). "Toronto Van Plows Along Sidewalk, Killing 9 in 'Pure Carnage'". The New York Times. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Multiple pedestrians struck by van in Toronto". Toronto Sun. April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  6. ^ a b McLean, Jesse; Welsh, Moira; Palamarchuk, Andrew (April 23, 2018). "10 dead, 15 hurt as van mows down pedestrians along Yonge St.; suspect named". Toronto Star. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  7. ^ a b "Toronto incident: suspect in custody after van ploughs into crowd, killing nine". The Guardian. April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  8. ^ a b Ha, Tu Thanh; Gray, Jeff; Hayes, Molly (April 23, 2018). "Massive investigation into Toronto van attack will shut down Yonge Street for days". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  9. ^ a b c Rocha, Veronica; Ries, Brian (April 23, 2018). "Van strikes pedestrians in Toronto". CNN. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  10. ^ Sabur, Rozina; Riley-Smith, Ben; Guly, Christopher; Crilly, Rob (April 23, 2018). "Suspect named after van ploughs into pedestrians in Toronto leaving ten dead and 15 injured". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  11. ^ Joseph, Rebecca (April 23, 2018). "'Get down or you'll be shot': Video shows police standoff with suspect in Toronto van attack". Global News. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  12. ^ "Toronto van attack: How is the suspect not dead?". BBC News. April 24, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  13. ^ "Sunnybrook receives injured from Yonge and Finch". sunnybrook.ca. Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. April 23, 2018.
  14. ^ "Toronto van: Ten dead and 15 injured as pedestrians are hit". BBC News. London. April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  15. ^ "Van attack that killed 10 people in North York was 'definitely deliberate': police". CP24, April 23, 2018.
  16. ^ "Van strikes pedestrians in Toronto, killing 9 and injuring 16 – live updates". CBS News. April 23, 2018.
  17. ^ Orfanides, Effie (April 23, 2018). "Alek Minassian's Social Media: What's Known So Far".
  18. ^ "What we know about Alek Minassian, alleged driver in deadly Toronto van attack". CBC. April 23, 2018.
  19. ^ Agencies (April 24, 2018). "Deadly Toronto van driver: What we know about Alek Minassian". GulfNews. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  20. ^ "'That's a tragedy': Toronto van attack suspect's neighbour reacts to loss of life - Watch News Videos Online". Global News. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  21. ^ https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/toronto/article-suspect-in-toronto-van-attack-described-as-socially-awkward-tech/
  22. ^ DeClerq, Katherine (April 23, 2018). "Investigation into deadly van incident closes roads in North York". CP24. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  23. ^ @TorontoPolice (April 23, 2018). "It is anticipated that investigators will be on scene for several days, leading to road closures. Alternate routes instead of Yonge Street are Beecroft Road and Doris Avenue" (Tweet). Retrieved April 23, 2018 – via Twitter.
  24. ^ "Security Heighten Outside Air Canada Centre Prior Maple Leafs Game". CFTR. April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  25. ^ "Air Canada Centre and Maple Leaf Square, Traffic restrictions and security enhancements". torontopolice.on.ca. April 23, 2018.
  26. ^ Nielsen, Kevin (April 23, 2018). "Maple Leafs hold moment of silence for victims of Toronto van attack". globalnews.ca. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  27. ^ https://www.asahi.com/articles/ASL4S2JLZL4SUHBI00D.html?iref=comtop_list_int_t
  28. ^ a b "Trudeau, Wynne react to Toronto van attack". CTV News. April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 23, 2018.
  29. ^ @BorisJohnson (April 23, 2018). "Very sad to see the news of the incident in Toronto earlier today, as I was visiting the city. My thoughts with those affected, their families and friends, and the emergency services personnel responding" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  30. ^ @USAmbCanada (April 23, 2018). "Hearing about the horrific incident in Toronto this afternoon. Joe and I are praying for those affected, their families, and the first responders at the scene" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  31. ^ Abadi, Mahem (April 23, 2018). "Toronto sign dimmed, flags lowered to honour victims of deadly van attack". Global News.
  32. ^ "Local resident starts memorial outside scene of van attack". CityNews. April 23, 2018. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
  33. ^ a b Racco, Marilisa (April 23, 2018). "In the wake of the Toronto van attack, good deeds surge. You can help too". Global News. Retrieved April 24, 2018.
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