Lapu Lapu killings: Suspect charged with multiple counts of second-degree murder in Vancouver

Our colleagues in Vancouver will have more coverage tonight, as vigils are held in the city and community leaders pay their respects. You can read more at CBCNews.ca.

He appeared very briefly in court from a jail cell wearing grey sweats a few minutes ago. He’s been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder. Lo did not request bail, so he’s staying in custody. As below, a publication ban covers other details.

The case has been put over to May 26.

Lo's first appearance in court is a bail hearing. Those hearings can be protected by a publication ban under Section 517 of the Criminal Code. The bans are mandatory if requested — which they almost always are.

When those bans are in place, journalists can only report three main things: the fact that a bail hearing took place, whether or not the accused was granted bail and whether there are any conditions to their release. We can’t say why they were granted bail — or why not — and can’t report on any evidence that might have come up.

Lo faces eight counts under Section 235 of the Criminal Code of Canada, which covers both first- and second-degree murder. First-degree murder is planned and deliberate, with a few other scenarios where the charge might apply. Second-degree is an intentional killing that wasn’t planned in advance.

We don’t yet know which one Lo faces.

If convicted, both first- and second-degree murder come with a sentence of life imprisonment.

A suspect has been criminally charged in relation to the deaths last night. Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, faces eight counts of murder.

He is set to make a court appearance this afternoon.

The news conference has wrapped.

Journalists asked several times about the lack of barricades on the street that was lined with food trucks, where the incident happened.

Sim and Rai repeatedly responded by saying they believe the "root cause" of the incident is mental health.

One reporter mentioned the 2023 stabbing of several people at a Vancouver Chinatown event and asked whether it raised any red flags about security planning of cultural events.

"It would be difficult to take one template from one neighbourhood and one set of facts and apply it to another event," Rai said.

Sim — who was endorsed by the police union in the 2022 mayoral election — chimed in, saying Vancouver police apprehended the suspect in the Chinatown stabbing "within 10 minutes."

Rai says police had not "from our knowledge" had any interactions "immediately leading up to this event" with the suspect.

As we reported earlier, there have been questions around how a driver was able to get an SUV into the crowd. Rai says that the risk assessment done by police, prior to big events, involves scanning social media for threats and working with organizers on their needs, among a “whole gamut” of preparations.

He says that last year’s Lapu Lapu Day festival was a family-friendly event for Filipino people to celebrate their culture, an atmosphere police wanted to maintain this year. He said he believes this year’s response was appropriate based on the information they had.

“We don’t want to cage everybody up at every event in the City of Vancouver,” the interim police chief said.

Rai says a number of victims "have not yet been identified."

He said "dozens" of people have been injured, "some critically."

Those looking for loved ones who were at the festival can either go in person to the 24-hour assistance centre at the Douglas Park community centre or speak with a victim liaison officer at 1-604-717-3321.

The interim police chief said the people who died ranged in age from five to 65.