Kira Salim Obituary, Death; – On Monday, a teacher and school counselor was confirmed as one of the 11 individuals who lost their lives when a driver drove a sport-utility vehicle into a crowd at a Filipino heritage festival in Vancouver over the weekend.
Kira Salim was employed at two schools within the New Westminster School District, located southeast of Vancouver, as stated by the district. Salim was described as a cherished member of the community, whose wisdom and dedication to middle and secondary school students made a significant impact, according to the district’s superintendent and board chair.
The black Audi SUV accelerated down a closed street lined with food trucks shortly after 8 p.m. on Saturday, colliding with attendees of the Lapu Lapu Day festival, which honors Datu Lapu-Lapu, an Indigenous leader who resisted Spanish explorers in the 16th century.
Thirty-two individuals sustained injuries, with 17 remaining hospitalized late Sunday, some in critical and serious condition, as reported by the British Columbia Health Ministry. A 30-year-old man has been charged with multiple counts of murder in connection with the fatalities, and mourners, including the Canadian prime minister, paid tribute to the victims at vigils throughout the city.
Kai-Ji Adam Lo faces eight counts of second-degree murder following a video appearance before a judge on Sunday, as confirmed by Damienne Darby, a spokesperson for British Columbia prosecutors. Lo has yet to enter a plea. Investigators have ruled out terrorism as a motive and indicated that additional charges may be forthcoming, noting Lo’s history of mental health issues. The Associated Press was unable to contact an attorney representing him. The deceased ranged in age from 5 to 65, according to officials.
Nathaly Nairn and her 15-year-old daughter brought flowers to one of the vigils. They had attended the festival on Saturday, and Nairn recounted witnessing the damaged SUV and bodies on the ground. ‘Something truly dark occurred last night,’ Nairn remarked as she and her daughter wiped away their tears.
While attending a vigil, Vancouver Mayor Kenneth Sim said the Filipino community and the city were “heartbroken, were sad, were scared and there’s a bit of anger there, too.”
Interim Police Chief Steve Rai called it “the darkest day in Vancouver’s history.” There was no indication of a motive, but Rai said the suspect has “a significant history of interactions with police and health care professionals related to mental health.”
Video of the aftermath showed the dead and injured along a narrow street in South Vancouver. The front of the SUV was smashed in.
Kris Pangilinan, who brought his pop-up clothing and lifestyle booth to the festival, saw the vehicle roll slowly past a barricade before the driver accelerated in an area packed with people after a concert. He said hearing the sounds of people screaming and bodies hitting the vehicle will never leave his mind.
“He slammed on the gas, barreled through the crowd,” Pangilinan said. “It looked like a bowling ball hitting bowling pins and all the pins are flying into the air.”
Investigators were collecting evidence at the scene Monday and had executed a search warrant at a Vancouver property, police spokesperson Sgt. Steve Addison said. Investigators were also going through bystander video from the scene.
Officials will review the situation, and it may change how they approach such events, Addison said.
“This was intended to be a safe, fun, family-friendly community block party for people to celebrate their community and culture,” Addison said. “The actions of one person stole that away from them.”
Suspect detained by bystanders
Rai said the suspect was arrested after initially being apprehended by bystanders.
Video circulating on social media showed a young man in a black hoodie with his back against a chain-link fence, alongside a security guard and surrounded by bystanders screaming and swearing at him.
“I’m sorry,” the man said, holding his hand to his head. Rai declined to comment on the video.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney visited Sunday, a day before a national election. He canceled his first campaign event and two major rallies on the final day of the campaign before the country votes on Monday.
“Last night families lost a sister, a brother, a mother, father, son or a daughter. Those families are living every family’s nightmare,” Carney said. He joined British Columbia Premier David Eby and community leaders Sunday evening in Vancouver.
Carney posted a photo of himself on X lighting a candle at a makeshift memorial near the scene of the attack.
The assault was reminiscent of an attack in 2018, when a man used a van to kill 10 pedestrians in Toronto.
Witnesses describe leaping out of the way
Carayn Nulada said that she pulled her granddaughter and grandson off the street and used her body to shield them from the SUV. She said her daughter made a narrow escape.
“The car hit her arm, and she fell down, but she got up, looking for us, because she is scared,” said Nulada, who described children screaming and victims lying on the ground or wedged under vehicles.
Nulada was at Vancouver General Hospital on Sunday morning, trying to learn about her brother, who was run down in the attack and suffered multiple broken bones.
Doctors identified him by presenting the family with his wedding ring in a pill bottle and said that he was stable but would need surgery.
James Cruzat, a Vancouver business owner, was at the celebration. He heard a car engine rev and then “a loud noise, like a loud bang” that he initially thought might be a gunshot
“We saw people on the road crying. Others were like running, shouting or even screaming, asking for help,” Cruzat said. Vincent Reynon, 17, was leaving the festival when he saw police rushing in. People were crying, and he saw scattered bodies. “It was like something straight out of a horror movie or a nightmare,” he said.
Adonis Quita said when he saw the SUV ramming through the crowd, his first reaction was to drag his 9-year-old son out of the area. The boy kept saying “I’m scared, I’m scared,” Quita recalled. Later they prayed together.
His son just relocated to Vancouver from the Philippines with his mother to reunite with Quita, who has lived here since 2024. Quita said he worries the child will struggle to adjust to life in Canada after witnessing the horrific event.
