Suspect Quizzed After 10 Pedestrians Killed
Canadian Police are questioning the suspected driver of a rented van that ploughed into pedestrians in northern Toronto yesterday, killing 10 and injuring 15.
Alek Minassian, 25, was not previously known to authorities, Police said. The incident appeared to be deliberate, but the motive was not clear, officials added. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the “tragic and senseless attack” had brought him “great sadness”. Meanwhile, an officer has been praised for not opening fire during a tense standoff with the suspect, who claimed to be armed. Video broadcast on CBC News showed a man pointing what appeared to be a gun at officers and shouting “kill me”.
The officer tells the man to “get down” and when the suspect says he has a gun, the officer repeats: “I don’t care. Get down.”
The suspect was then arrested without shots being fired.
What is known of the suspect?
Very few details have been released about the man being questioned. Police said Alek Minassian was from the northern Toronto suburb of Richmond Hill. Toronto Police Chief Mark Saunders told a news conference that he was not previously known to authorities.
“The actions definitely looked deliberate,” he said, adding that it was too early in the investigation to say whether the incident was terror-related. “We don’t rule out anything. What we have to do is to follow what we have because it’s very early in the investigation,” he said. Standing alongside him, Canadian public safety minister Ralph Goodale said there “would appear to be no national security connections”.
Canadian broadcaster CBC, citing government officials, said Mr Minassian was not associated with any known terror groups.