‘That’s my people’: Vancouver Lapu Lapu festival witnesses describe heartbreaking tragedy |
Bjorn Villaruel attended the festival and was leaving when he said he saw the SUV drive into a group of people. He broke down in tears talking about what happened.
WARNING: The details in this story are disturbing. Discretion is advised.
Residents and festival-goers are still trying to reconcile what happened at the Lapu Lapu Day event in Vancouver on Saturday night.
Just after 8 p.m., a man drove his SUV into a crowd of people, killing 11 and injuring dozens more.
Bjorn Villaruel attended the festival and was leaving when he said he saw the SUV drive into a group of people.
“I was just standing at one of the booths buying something and I heard this banging sound,” he told Global News.
“I’m seeing people flying, like one or two, right in front of me, just feet away from me.”
Villaruel said he thought it was a car accident but then he said he saw the SUV accelerate again toward some food trucks and people, then it stopped and accelerated again towards people.
“I feel the hate,” he said, breaking down in tears. “I went to help, that’s my people.”
Villaruel said it was “horrific.”
“Every time I hear a car right now, I feel there’s hate.”
He said it was busy at the time, packed with people, and no one thought anything like this could happen.
1:19 Vancouver festival tragedy: 11 killed, dozens injured on ‘darkest day’ in city’s history, police say
Aadiah Muhamad and her husband Mohamed Sairmen own the Kampong food truck, which serves Malaysian food.
They were working at the festival all day and said it was a great time, everyone was so friendly and they sold out of food.
They were just getting ready to start cleaning up and packing up when Muhamad said she heard a series of very loud bangs.
“Just boom, boom, boom,” she said.
Sairmen said they thought a propane tank had exploded, the noise was so loud.
But when they looked out of the service window of the truck they saw a person lying there, already dead.
“We saw people at the back of our truck, injured,” Sairmen said. “One guy was holding his leg.”
They left the truck and helped the injured as best they could.
“So sad,” Muhamad said. “Such a tragedy.”
She said they feel sorry for the victims and everyone is asking why this happened to such a wonderful, loving community.
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“We are so sorry, for the community,” Muhmad said.
2:04 Outpouring of love for Vancouver’s Filipino community
Global BC anchor Jason Pires attended the festival on Saturday and said it was a joyous family-friendly event.
He emceed the event on Saturday and said the food truck area was a new addition to the festival this year.
“Such a stark contrast with such a joyous occasion and such a tragedy at the end,” Pires said.
“Just such a compassionate, hard-working people and that’s why I think everyone is just reeling.”
3:52 Global BC’s Jason Pires speaks on festival violence after joyful day spent with Vancouver’s Filipino community
Kai-Ji Adam Lo, 30, has been charged with eight counts of second-degree murder at the time of publication.
He remains in custody, pending a court date. He was taken into custody shortly after the incident on Saturday.
A motive for the incident remains unclear.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
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