Tragedy on Fraser Street: Vancouver’s Festival Attack Echoes Toronto’s Danforth Horror

Written By B.J. Dichter, Posted on April 27, 2025

Will Canada’s Bureaucracy Once Again Defer Responsibility by Hiding Behind Their Mental Illness Excuse?

On April 26, 2025, a tragic vehicle-ramming attack occurred at the Lapu Lapu Day Block Party, a Filipino cultural festival in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The incident, which took place shortly after 8:00 p.m. near East 41st Avenue and Fraser Street in the Sunset neighbourhood, resulted in multiple fatalities and injuries, shocking the vibrant Filipino-Canadian community and the city at large.

The Lapu Lapu Day festival, organized by Filipino BC, is a significant celebration honouring Lapu-Lapu, an Indigenous Visayan chieftain who resisted Spanish colonization in the 16th century. The event, in its second year in Vancouver, featured a multi-block street party with live music, cultural performances, food trucks, and vendors, drawing up to 100,000 attendees throughout the day. The festival, held in one of Vancouver’s most ethnically diverse neighbourhoods, also included collaborations with groups like Hogan’s Alley Society to highlight Black Canadian artists, emphasizing themes of inclusion and resilience. The event was festive, with families, children, and community members enjoying performances and Filipino cuisine until the horrific incident unfolded.

At approximately 8:14 p.m., a 30-year-old man and Vancouver resident yet to be identified drove a black SUV into a crowded section of the festival, striking numerous pedestrians. According to eyewitnesses, the vehicle sped through the street, hitting people with such force that some described victims as “flying like bowling pins.” The scene quickly turned chaotic, with bodies strewn across the road, debris scattered, and screams filling the air. Witnesses reported seeing at least seven people lying motionless, some receiving CPR from bystanders. Festival security guard Jen Idaba-Castaneto described the scene as overwhelming, with “bodies everywhere,” likening it to a “war zone.” The driver reportedly attempted to flee on foot after the Audi SUV he was driving became so badly damaged that it shut off. He was apprehended by festival-goers, who held him until police arrived.

The Vancouver Police Department (VPD) has not confirmed the exact casualty count, citing family notifications, but estimates so far show between 8 – 16 killed and many injured in the attack. Vancouver General Hospital declared a “code orange” for the mass casualty event, and BC Emergency Health Services faced strained response times. The suspect, known to police “in certain circumstances,” is under investigation by the VPD’s major crime and collision reconstruction teams. While terrorism has not been ruled out, a law enforcement source suggested mental health issues as a possible factor, a common communication tactic use in similar incidences. though the motive remains unclear. Unlike previous festivals, the venue lacked heavy vehicle barriers, prompting scrutiny of security protocols.

The 2018 Danforth shooting in Toronto’s Greektown shares striking parallels. On July 22, 2018, 29-year-old Faisal Hussain opened fire on Danforth Avenue, a bustling street lined with restaurants and patios, during a lively summer evening. In the attack Faisal Hussain executed two teenage girls at point blank range–10-year-old Julianna Kozis and 18-year-old Reese Fallon–and injured 13 others before Hussain died in a police shootout. Like the Vancouver attack, the Danforth shooting targeted a multicultural hub during a festive time, disrupting a community’s sense of safety. Both incidents involved lone male perpetrators known to police. In Toronto, Hussain’s family made unsubstantiated claims of a history of mental illness, though the Islamic State claimed responsibility and there was concerning cultural motivations that were ignored by authorities.

Both attacks left communities reeling. Vancouver’s Filipino-Canadian community, like Toronto’s Greek-Canadian and broader Danforth residents, mourned the loss of a safe space for cultural celebration. The Danforth shooting prompted vigils and calls for gun control while ignoring the root cause of the killing, while Vancouver’s attack has sparked questions about festival security, especially the absence of vehicle barriers. In both cases, the randomness of the violence–targeting families and children–amplified public grief. Canadian leaders, including Liberal Candidate Mark Carney for Vancouver and then-Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for Toronto, condemned the attacks, offering condolences. Vancouver Mayor Ken Sim, BC Premier David Eby, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre echoed sentiments similar to those of Toronto officials in 2018, who rallied around Greektown’s resilience.

Social media reactions to both incidents reflect public fatigue and anger at the do nothing bureaucratic class and reflect a demand for detailed answers about the perpetrators’ backgrounds and root cause. Merely dismissing these events a mental illness no longer seems to be sufficient for Canadians fed up with a lack of action from their public servants. The Danforth shooting, often overshadowed by other Canadian tragedies like the 2018 Yonge Street van attack, were quickly and intentionally ignored by legacy media, as some posts on X suggest about Vancouver’s recent attack. Both events underscore vulnerabilities in open, urban festival due to unvetted mass migration from countries with deep intrenched tribal divisions and sectarian violence that have materialized as in violent mobs clashing in Brampton, Ontario and other Canadian jurisdictions. As Vancouver’s investigation continues, the city grapples with the same questions Toronto faced: Will public servants finally deal with the underlying issues of elevated violent crime and preserve the spirit of community celebration, or will the solution be the construction of a few more concrete bollards of piece as the legacy media abandons concerns for Canada’s Filipino community.

B.J. Dichter

Author Honking For Freedom, Podcaster, Speaker, Trucker #FreedomConvoy Spokesperson. #Bitcoin http://HonkingForFreedom.com | http://BenjaminJDichter.com