THE DAY AFTER
A 25-year-old Richmond Hill man faces 23 charges after deadly van attack in Toronto as officials work to identify the victims
TORONTO — Shock gave way to grief in Toronto as officials and residents alike struggled to come to terms with a deadly rampage that killed 10 people and injured at least 14 others.
Candles and flowers piled up along the stretch of Yonge Street on Tuesday where a 25-year-old man allegedly drove a rented van down sidewalks on Monday afternoon, striking pedestrians in his path.
Alek Minassian, 25, of Richmond Hill, Ont., has since been charged with 10 counts of first-degree murder and 13 counts of attempted murder.
Before observing a moment of silence and closing down business for the day as an act of mourning, city councillors identified one of the victims as Anne Marie D’Amico, who worked at a U.S.-based investment firm. A South Korean news agency said two Korean nationals were also among those killed, and cited government officials as saying three others were unaccounted for. The Jordanian embassy in Ottawa said one of its citizens was among the dead. And Seneca College said a female student was also among those killed, but didn’t provide further details.
Near the area where Monday’s carnage unfolded, well-wishers wept as they struggled to make sense of the violence that shattered the peace of a usually bustling neighbourhood that regulars describe as a safe haven.
“You feel for this community considering that you live here, you shop here, you laugh with the people here, you go out here,” said neighbourhood resident Don-Antonio Andrew. “It’s a very traumatic time for this area and for your neighbourhood.”
Andrew, who said one pedestrian got hit directly in front of his apartment building, came to lay flowers at the scene in a show of solidarity with the neighbourhood he described as one of the best he’s lived in since he moved to Canada. Claire Hurley, who was making her own floral contribution to the makeshift memorial, said the fatal attack was difficult to reconcile with the safe community she’s come to know.
“This always seems like a really safe neighbourhood, so it was a big shock,” she said while wiping back tears. “Everyone was out enjoying the sunshine, and enjoying life. I guess you just have to ... enjoy every day.”
The memorial was set up on the east side of Yonge Street, just below Finch Avenue, where the deadly incident took place. Police officers still blanketed the scene on Tuesday as they continued to investigate. Police have not yet released the names and ages of the victims, but Toronto Coun. Cesar Palacio revealed D’Amico’s identity at an early-morning session at city hall, adding that he reached out to her father to express condolences.
“When I spoke to Rocco ... early this morning, it was clear that part of his life is gone,” Palacio said. “As he noted, he’s living the worst nightmare ever of his life.”
Tennis Canada said D’Amico had volunteered at its marquis Rogers Cup Tournament every summer since the age of 12, starting out as a “ball girl” and eventually heading its stadium control committee. The organization also said she worked at Invesco Canada, a U.S.-based investment firm with offices near the scene of the attack.
“Anne Marie was voted volunteer of the year in 2016,” Tennis Canada said in a statement. “She was always smiling, had the biggest heart and always put other people’s needs ahead of her own.”
Across the city from the crime scene, Minassian made a brief appearance in a packed courtroom to learn the charges filed against him. Clad in a white jumpsuit, he looked around and said little other than his name before charges were announced. His next court appearance is currently slated for May 10. A man police identified as Minassian’s father was also present in court.
When asked if he had a statement to offer to the victims’ families, the man simply replied “I’m sorry.”
Little is known about Minassian, who was arrested after a brief sidewalk standoff with a lone police officer not far from the incident site. The officer, identified by police sources as Const. Ken Lam, is being hailed as a hero for taking Minassian into custody without firing a single shot.
“It’s one shining moment in an absolutely game-changing, abysmal, horrific day in the city of Toronto,” city Police Union President Mike McCormack said. “The one ... positive to take away from that day was his (officer’s) behaviour.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said that while the investigation is still underway, there is no evidence to suggest there was a “national security element” to the incident. Calling it a “senseless attack and a horrific tragedy,” Trudeau called for a show of support for those affected, as well for a city in mourning.
“The entire community of Toronto has shown strength and determination in the face of this tragedy,” Trudeau said. “All Canadians stand united with Toronto today.”
Toronto Mayor John Tory echoed that call and said the city will recover.
“Toronto was a great city yesterday, it is a great city today and it will be a great city tomorrow,” he said. “The people who call this city home are shaken right now but we are not broken and we will not be broken.”
At the Ontario legislature, members of all three provincial parties held a moment of silence and expressed their grief and support for the first responders at the scene.
Premier Kathleen Wynne said that while legislators were all reeling from Monday’s incident, they felt it was important to carry on with the democratic process.
“We have to ensure that this kind of senseless act doesn’t define us,” Wynne said.
U.S. President Donald Trump offered his condolences Tuesday morning. “I also want to express our deepest sympathies to the Canadian people following the horrendous tragedy in Toronto that claimed so many innocent lives,” Trump said at a White House ceremony. “Our hearts are with the grieving families in Canada.”
A Muslim-Canadian non-profit group called DawaNet, which helped raise more than $800,000 for the victims of last year’s mosque shooting in Quebec, launched a GoFundMe page for the victims of the Toronto incident, which had raised more than $82,000 by Tuesday afternoon.