A pick-up lorry attack that killed four members of an immigrant family has shaken Canada, a country where immigrants are largely accepted, and drew denunciations from Canada’s prime minister, who called it a hate attack directed at Muslims.
The victims, two parents, two children and a grandmother, were on an evening walk when the lorries struck them at a junction in London, Ontario.
“This was a terrorist attack, motivated by hatred, in the heart of one of our communities,” prime minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament.
“If anyone thinks racism and hatred don’t exist in this country, I want to say this: How do we explain such violence to a child in a hospital?
“How can we look families in the eye and say ‘Islamophobia isn’t real’?
I’m horrified by the news from London, Ontario. To the loved ones of those who were terrorized by yesterday’s act of hatred, we are here for you. We are also here for the child who remains in hospital - our hearts go out to you, and you will be in our thoughts as you recover.
— Justin Trudeau (@JustinTrudeau) June 7, 2021
The victims’ extended family issued a statement identifying the dead as Salman Afzal, 46; his wife Madiha, 44; their daughter Yumna, 15; and a 74-year-old grandmother whose name was withheld.
A nine-year-old boy taken to hospital was identified as Fayez.
Friends said they moved to Canada 14 years ago.
Many Canadians have been enjoying evening walks to get fresh air after long days at home during the pandemic, Mr Trudeau said.
“But unlike every other night, this family never made it home,” Mr Trudeau said.
“Their lives were taken in a brutal, cowardly and brazen act of violence.
“This killing was no accident. … Canadians are outraged by what happened on Sunday.
“And many Muslim Canadians are scared.”
Mr Trudeau said words matter and in part blamed rhetoric, disinformation and extremism online and in politics.
“They can be a seed that grows into an ugly, pervasive trend.
“And sometimes, they lead to real violence,” the prime minister said.
Saddened to learn of the killing of a Muslim Pakistani-origin Canadian family in London, Ontario. This condemnable act of terrorism reveals the growing Islamophobia in Western countries. Islamophonia needs to be countered holistically by the international community.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) June 8, 2021
Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan said on Twitter that the attack revealed the growing Islamophobia in western countries.
A 20-year-old suspect, Nathaniel Veltman, was arrested in the car park of a nearby shopping centre.
He was facing four counts of first-degree murder.
Police said Veltman, a resident of London, did not know the victims.
Detective Superintendent Paul Waight said it was not clear if he belonged to any specific hate group, but that local police were working with federal authorities to investigate potential terrorism charges.
He said the attack was planned.
Everyone who knew the Afzal family knew “the model family they were as Muslims, Canadians and Pakistanis”, the statement from the extended family said.
“They worked extremely hard in their fields and excelled.
“Their children were top students in their school and connected strongly with their spiritual identity.”
A fundraising webpage said the father was a physiotherapist and cricket enthusiast and his wife was working on a doctorate in civil engineering at Western University in London.
Their daughter was finishing ninth grade, and the grandmother was a “pillar” of the family, the page said.
The family statement urged the public to stand against hate and Islamophobia.
“This young man who committed this act of terror was influenced by a group that he associated with, and the rest of the community must take a strong stand against this, from the highest levels in our government to every member of the community,” the statement said.
Flowers were placed around a lamp post and a tree where the vehicle crossed onto the pavement.
A vigil was scheduled for Tuesday night at the mosque the family attended.
Mr Trudeau and other federal political party leaders were scheduled to attend.
Rauf Ahmad and three friends watched the growing tribute on the corner.
“I didn’t think there was racism in Canada, and I felt very safe when I came here two years ago, but I do not feel safe now,” Mr Ahmad said.
“Humanity is first.
“We should not care about whether someone is a Muslim, a Jew or a Christian.”
Zahid Khan, a family friend, said the family belonged to the London Muslim Mosque.
“They were just out for their walk that they would go out for every day,” Mr Khan said through tears near the site of the crash.
“I just wanted to see.”
Mayor Ed Holder said flags would be lowered for three days in London, which he said has 30,000 to 40,000 Muslims among its more than 400,000 residents.
Canada is generally welcoming toward immigrants and all religions, but in 2017 a French Canadian man known for far-right, nationalist views went on a shooting rampage at a Quebec City mosque that killed six people.
