Toronto:
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Tuesday labeled the killing of 4 members of a Muslim family, who have been run down by a man driving a choose-up truck, as a “terrorist attack,” which he mentioned was carried out with “Islamophobic” intensions.
“This killing was no accident. This was a terrorist attack, motivated by hatred, in the heart of one of our communities,” Trudeau mentioned throughout a speech at the House of Commons.
Those killed, who have been struck as they walked with each other along a sidewalk, represent 3 generations of the identical family, according to a statement issued by their relatives.
The husband and wife, plus their teenage daughter and the man’s mother have been killed when a black choose-up truck mounted the curb and struck them at an intersection in the city of London in Canada’s central Ontario province. The driver of the truck was arrested.
The couple’s nine-year-old son was hospitalized following the attack but is recovering, the statement mentioned.
“We all hope the little boy can recover from his injuries quickly, even though we know he will live a long time with the sadness, incomprehension and anger caused by this cowardly Islamophobic attack,” Mr Trudeau mentioned, briefly switching to French.
The victims have been identified as Madiha Salman, age 44, who had carried out post-graduate work in the field of civil and environmental engineering at Western University in London, as effectively as her husband, Salman Afzaal age 46. Their 15-year-old daughter, Yumna Salman, was also killed as effectively as Afzaal’s mother, age 74. The family is of Pakistani origin.
London police mentioned Monday the suspect had deliberately attacked a Muslim family with his choose-up in a premeditated and planned act, motivated by hatred.
The 20-year-old suspect, arrested shortly following the attack, has been charged with 4 counts of initial-degree murder and one count of attempted murder, even though quite a few leaders of the Muslim neighborhood have named on the courts to deem the episode a terrorist attack.
Among them is the Muslim Association of Canada, which asked authorities to “prosecute this horrific attack as an act of hate and terrorism.”
The suspect, identified as Nathaniel Veltman, who was wearing a vest “like body armor,” was arrested at a mall seven kilometers (4 miles) from the intersection exactly where the attack occurred, mentioned Detective Superintendent Paul Waight.
The episode brought back painful memories of a Quebec City mosque mass shooting in January 2017 that left six dead and a driving rampage in Toronto that killed 10 men and women in April 2018, amongst other attacks.
“They were all targeted because of their Muslim faith,” Trudeau mentioned, promising to step up the country’s fight against far-correct racist groups. “This is happening here, in Canada. And it has to stop.”
Party leaders in the House of Commons condemned the violence as an act of “Islamophobia,” which have multiplied in current years in the nation extended recognized for its tolerance.
“The reality is our Canada is a place of racism of violence, of genocide of indigenous people, and our counties, a place where Muslims aren’t safe, they aren’t,” mentioned Jagmeet Singh, leader of the New Democrats.
Flower bouquets and toys have been placed at the scene of the attack and a vigil in memory of the victims is set to take location later Tuesday at a mosque, with Trudeau and Singh plus the leader of the conservative opposition, Erin O’Toole, amongst these who program to attend.