Three more murder charges laid in Vancouver festival attack, police say

VANCOUVER — The man accused of plowing a vehicle through a crowd at a Vancouver street festival faces more charges of second-degree murder.

Police say the number of charges against Adam Kai-Ji Lo, 30, has been increased from eight to 11, matching the number of people who died in the attack at the Lapu Lapu festival on April 26.

Dozens more people were injured at the festival, which was a celebration of Filipino culture.

Lo is due in court again Wednesday, with a judge set to decide if he is mentally fit to stand trial.

RJ Aquino with Filipino BC, the group that organized the festival, said the additional charges do “provide some answers” for the families of the victims, but they are still a “long way from justice.”

“We are still a day away from the mental health hearing, and it could be weeks or months before a judge’s decision on whether this proceeds to a criminal trial can happen,” said Aquino in an interview on Tuesday.

“We’re really focused on how the community is feeling and how we collectively want to seek justice for their loved ones and the community and our community members.”

Vancouver police say in a statement that the additional charges were approved by the BC Prosecution Service after a review of evidence submitted by homicide investigators.

The festival attack prompted a security review for other public events held across the province.

A review conducted by former B.C. Supreme Court judge Christopher Hinkson released earlier this month recommends that all public events, regardless of size, should be supported by a risk assessment.

It said that a provincial events hub should be developed to share information and advice for those organizing events.

Hinkson was appointed by Premier David Eby in the days after the attack to conduct the assessment.

Police said after the vehicle attack that the department did not recommend higher security for the Lapu Lapu event because it was deemed low-risk.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 22, 2025.