TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The suspect behind a vehicle-ramming attack on Saturday at a Filipino heritage festival in Vancouver is reportedly from Taiwan.
At around 8 p.m. local time, a man in a black Audi SUV drove into a crowd at the Lapu Lapu Day festival, killing 11 and injuring more than 20, per CNA. The suspect has been identified as 30-year-old Kai-Ji Adam Lo (羅凱基), who is currently charged with eight counts of murder, reported The Globe and Mail.
Police have not yet provided a motive for the incident. Lo had little online presence, but fundraising posts indicated he had been dealing with the loss in his family.
Police said Lo had a history of mental health issues. Neighbors reported that police frequently visited his residence, including earlier in April.
A close neighbor said that Lo, his parents, and his brother Alexander moved to Vancouver more than ten years ago, and his mother spoke to the neighbors in Mandarin. Lo's Facebook account says he is from Kaohsiung, according to the Globe and Mail.
The neighbor said Lo's father died of illness shortly after the family arrived. Another neighbor described Lo’s mother, Lisa, as a "nice lady" and shared text messages in which they exchanged New Year’s greetings.
However, the second neighbor also pointed out signs of trouble within the family, noting frequent police visits, including one earlier in April. This neighbor said that within the past two weeks, police had come to request security camera footage.
The first neighbor said that sometimes quarrels could be heard from the Lo's home, "He always was yelling with his mom…I don't know why." The neighbor said that while the arguments between the suspect and the mother were not violent, Lo often looked anxious.
The first neighbor, who occasionally interacted with Lo, said, "He is really nervous. The neighbor added that Lo was “always scared of something happening that might hurt him."
Acting Vancouver Police Chief Steve Rai said authorities could not comment on Lo’s motive but told the media that he was facing serious mental health challenges. Rai added that Lo had multiple prior interactions with police and healthcare professionals regarding mental health issues.
It remains unclear what kind of work Lo did. His Facebook account indicated that he had studied at the University of British Columbia's business school.
Lo’s brother, Alexander, was killed last year. On Jan. 28 of last year, Alexander was found dead in a house just two kilometers from the suspect’s home, and police have since charged Dwight William Kematch with second-degree murder.
After his brother’s death, Lo launched a GoFundMe fundraising campaign. In several GoFundMe posts, Lo described the heavy financial and emotional toll of losing his brother.
According to the GoFundMe posts and accounts from neighbors, Lo’s mother was later hospitalized in intensive care after a suicide attempt. The family was also burdened with heavy debt after constructing a detached house, which is currently being rented out.
