Posted by ReyFort Media
The man charged for allegedly driving an SUV into a crowd of people at the B.C. Lapu- Lapu Day block party in Vancouver on April 26 will stand trial for the crimes after being found mentally fit to face the charges.
The suspect, Adam Kai-Ji Lo, 30, was arrested at the scene and initially charged with eight counts of second-degree murder, with three counts added later. He was then subject to a three-day hearing to determine whether he is mentally fit to stand trial. The evidence presented at that hearing is covered by a publication ban.
Provincial court judge Reginald Harris issued a decision finding Kai-ji Lo fit on Wednesday, Sept 10. The B.C. Prosecution Service also added 31 more attempted murder charges for him to face in relation to the surviving victims of the attack, according to a social media post by a Vancouver Police Department spokesperson.
“This is another step toward answers and accountability in one of the most horrific incidents our city has ever faced, and I extend my deepest condolences to everyone impacted by the Lapu Lapu Festival attack,” Chief Const. Steve Rai said in the post. “I have deep gratitude to all of the Vancouver Police personnel who have investigated this mass casualty incident, and I thank the B.C. Prosecution Service for its diligence during the charge-assessment process.”
Since the tragedy at the street festival, the provincial government and the City of Vancouver have released separate reports on how to improve event safety.
The province’s report examined event safety in a general way, recommending better risk assessments, more jurisdictional clarity, and centralized training and planning.
Vancouver’s report, created in collaboration with the city’s police department, focuses more on what went wrong on the day and how to prevent it from happening again in a physical way. That report urges the creation of more robust hostile vehicle protection, including barriers in public places. (Reyfort Media)
ReyFort Media 
Leave a comment