Truck attack in Canada mows down 4 Muslims
Print Edition
A PICKUP truck attack that killed four members of an immigrant family has shaken Canada, a country where immigrants are largely accepted, and drew denunciations on Tuesday from Canada鈥檚 prime minister, who called it a hate crime directed at Muslims.
The victims 鈥 two parents, two children and a grandmother 鈥 were on an evening walk when the driver of the truck struck them at an intersection in London, Ontario. The sole survivor was a 9-year-old boy, who was hospitalized.
鈥淭his was a terrorist attack, motivated by hatred, in the heart of one of our communities,鈥 Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told Parliament.
鈥淚f anyone thinks racism and hatred don鈥檛 exist in this country, I want to say this: How do we explain such violence to a child in a hospital? How can we look families in the eye and say 鈥業slamophobia isn鈥檛 real?鈥欌
The victims鈥 extended family issued a statement identifying the dead as Salman Afzal, 46; his wife Madiha, 44; their daughter Yumna, 15; and a 74-year-old grandmother whose name was withheld. The hospitalized boy was identified as the couple鈥檚 son, Fayez. Friends said the family immigrated to Canada 14 years ago.
Many Canadians have been enjoying evening walks to get fresh air after long days at home during the pandemic, Trudeau said.
鈥淏ut unlike every other night, this family never made it home,鈥 Trudeau said. 鈥淭heir lives were taken in a brutal, cowardly and brazen act of violence. This killing was no accident. ... Canadians are outraged by what happened on Sunday. And many Muslim Canadians are scared.鈥
Trudeau said words matter and in part blamed rhetoric, disinformation and extremism online and in politics.
鈥淭hey can be a seed that grows into an ugly, pervasive trend. And sometimes, they lead to real violence,鈥 the prime minister said.
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said on Twitter that the attack revealed the growing Islamophobia in Western countries.
A 20-year-old suspect, Nathaniel Veltman, was arrested in the parking lot of a nearby mall. He was facing four counts of first-degree murder. Police were inside the suspect鈥檚 London apartment on Tuesday.
Police said Veltman did not know the victims. Detective Superintendant Paul Waight said it was not clear if he belonged to any specific hate group, but local police were working with federal authorities to investigate potential terrorism charges. He said the attack was planned.
Veltman worked part time at an egg farm in nearby Strathroy, Ontario. The chief executive of Gray Ridge Eggs, William Gray, gave no details about Veltman鈥檚 job.
Arman Moradpourian, a friend who worked with Veltman, called him a very devout Christian and said he was home schooled. Moradpourian said Veltman didn鈥檛 have a problem with him being Persian and raised Muslim.
鈥淗e never judged me,鈥 Moradpourian said. 鈥淗e would give his shirt off his back for you.鈥
Moradpourian said Veltman helped him with rides to grocery stores and helped him mediate family issues. He said Veltman deleted his social media years ago and remade it a few months ago.
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